Improving the village centre of Crescent Head is well and truly underway with part of Rankine, Scott and East Streets receiving a revamped streetscape that makes a big difference to local businesses and pedestrian movements.
Kempsey Shire Council and Member for Cowper, Pat Conaghan, joined businesses and residents on Friday to officially open stage one of the Rankine Street revitalisation project, which saw upgrades to a section of the street as well as to infrastructure on East and Scott Streets renewed and improved.
Kempsey Shire Council Manager Infrastructure Delivery, Dylan Reeves, celebrates the completion of stage one as a huge win for the community as the project both retains the village's coastal charm and helps local businesses flourish.
"The community expressed desired improvements to Crescent Head including expanding footpaths along Rankine, Scott and East Streets to provide more space for outdoor dining and shop displays," said Mr Reeves.
"User-friendly layouts were also a key theme and parking along this busy area of Crescent Head has become a lot safer for both drivers and pedestrians."
Additional improvements include:
- Accessible ramps connecting shop level to street level
- Wider, concrete finished pathways
- Recycled hardwood street furniture and decking
- Plantings to provide additional shade and comfort
Federal Member for Cowper, Pat Conaghan, said the plans for the upgrade were much more than just a cosmetic fix to the shopping area of Crescent Head
"To see the $800,000 provided under the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program achieve a result like this is fantastic," said Mr Conaghan.
"The development work was about community-led recovery from COVID-19 by supporting local jobs. And now, by providing better amenities and having outdoor seating and disabled access, it means businesses can cater to more customers, which means more in the till, and as we know with micro economies in smaller towns, that money will reach other small businesses. It's a great thing all round."
Stage one of the Rankine Street redevelopment was made possible thanks to federal funding of approximately $800,000 under the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program and a Council contribution of $76,000.
This project forms part of the overarching Crescent Head Public Domain project that was adopted by Council in October 2020. While debate is still ongoing regarding the foreshore element of the plan, the renewal of Rankine Street was well-received by the community.
