September 3, 2015
The completion of Nanango’s streetscape project will be celebrated with a community street party on Sunday, November 8.
Entertainment will be provided by a yet-to-be-announced “name” performer, and there’ll be a free barbecue running as well.
Mayor Wayne Kratzmann said today the Council-sponsored party would celebrate the end of the two-year project, which began with the expansion of Scott Car Park in August 2013 and moved on to Henry Street before the final upgrading of Drayton and Fitzroy streets began in April.
“This has been largest CBD streetscaping project ever undertaken in the South Burnett and I know there have been times when it’s frustrated some people,” the Mayor said.
“The long wait we all had while Main Roads installed the Drayton Street traffic lights, then the need to fix up all the underground infrastructure in Drayton Street, threw a lot of our initial schedules out the window.
“But I think the end result will be worth it. Nanango really looks like a town that’s going ahead now.”
The Mayor said while there had been some opposition to the project during the two-year roll-out, that was only to be expected.
“Whenever there’s a change some people will be annoyed by that, and I understand that,” he said.
“For example, when the traffic lights first went in there were some people who said they’d sell up and move because they’d vowed they’d never live in a town with traffic lights.
“But now they’ve been in place for 15 months I think most people prefer them. Traffic in Drayton Street is up and traffic on Nanango’s bypass is down. That says it all.”
The Mayor said he also understood some CBD traders had been concerned they’d lose trade as the upgrade proceeded, and he’d worked hard to keep disruption to a minimum.
“We put our work crews on this project non-stop. The only time they haven’t been around is when they’ve had to wait for concrete to cure,” he said.
“We tried to make sure they were out the front of every shop for the least time possible to do whatever they needed to do on that section, then move on to the next.
“I also personally visited traders who had specific concerns and wherever we could, we looked at what we could do to assist their situation.”
The street party will be both a celebration of the project’s conclusion and a “thank you” to the Nanango community for their patience.
“The feedback I’ve been getting as this project has started to take shape has been getting more positive all the time,” the Mayor said.
“Nanango is our second largest town, as well as our oldest. Now it’s our most modern as well.
“That’s worth celebrating.”
Street Party. Great idea Wayne. Maybe you could get Kasey Chambers to perform at the street party? What’s another 20 or 30 grand, the project is already way over budget and I’m sure the ratepayers wouldn’t mind paying?