Local Canowindra residents having their say at the Canowindra Community Master Plan meeting last week.
Last Wednesday gave the local community of Canowindra, including local residents and organisations the opportunity to meet with sala4D, the urban design consultants who have been tasked with putting together the Canowindra Community Master Plan.
With over 45 people in attendance at the Canowindra Services Club over the two sessions this was a great opportunity for locals to prioritise what they saw as the important aspects of the village and what should be included in the Community Master Plan.
The four key precincts identified were the Sporting Precinct, the Rail and Historic Precinct, the Belubula River area and the Gaskill Street Precinct.
One aspect identified was the ability to link between the precincts with walkways and cycleways.
In addition, it identified the need for more street signs, a desire to improve the appearance of the Blue Jacket Lookout and the importance of the river for passive recreation.
It was also very evident that there is high recognition of the value of the strong sense of community within Canowindra.
A number of Canowindra residents turned up to have their say at the meeting.
The results from the various exercises of the Community Conversations will be compiled and used as the basis for developing a draft master plan, that will then be reviewed and refined to ensure all opportunities are captured and the plan meets community expectations. A prioritised schedule of projects, with cost estimates forms part of the final master plan package.
The plan is an important step in becoming ready to apply for government grants when they become available but is also a great organiser for community effort to work towards together.
A Canowindra Mainstreet Precinct Issues Paper, which is going on public exhibition soon, was distributed at the end of each session.
Cabonne Council is seeking comment on the Issues Paper, with the aim to develop a plan for the main street soon.
The General Manager of Cabonne, Bradley Byrnes said, “It was great to see the community coming together and identifying how to build on all the great strengths the Canowindra village and the main street already has, as well as identifying problems and weaknesses that need working on for the future of the village.”