(Photo: Cr Kirstie Schumacher)
August 24, 2023
South Burnett Regional Council has approved the second – and final – stage of the $450,000 redevelopment of Murgon’s QEII Park.
Councillors gave Stage 2 the go-ahead at the SBRC’s August General Meeting on Wednesday.
The second stage will cover the area from the rear of the Visitor Information Centre to Krebs Street.
Plans for it were presented to Murgon business representatives at a community engagement meeting held in the park on August 10.
The meeting also gathered local feedback about the first stage of the redevelopment (Gore Street to the front of the VIC) to see what lessons could be learned from it.
One issue that emerged at the community meeting was the large amount of concrete used in the first stage.
Residents said this made the park hot in summer and reduced the amount of grassed areas.
To combat these problems, the width of footpaths in the second stage will be reduced from three metres to 2.4 metres, which will still allow wheelchairs, prams and scooters to be used alongside able-bodied pedestrians.
Another Stage 1 issue was the distance between the seats and table tops in the new shelters, which posed difficulties for some people.
Council officers said it would be too expensive to increase the clearance between the seats and table tops on the shelters already installed because they have been cemented into place.
However, they will ensure that the four new shelters planned for the second stage have wider seat clearances.
A third issue was that two of the park’s existing fig trees will need to be removed because they are near power lines, Telstra cables and fibre optic cables.
Other features planned for Stage 2 include an area installed with 4m x 4m seat benches in a U-shape so park visitors can have an area where they can sit and chat with friends; planting of new trees throughout the park; and the installation of an irrigation system with pop-up sprinklers and new turf to ensure the park stays green year-round.
A sign will also be erected at the western end of the park and two rock plinths will be installed on the eastern end, with plaques acknowledging government funding contributions to the project.
Work on Stage 2 is expected to begin in early October and should be completed by March, weather permitting.
- Related article: Public Meeting On QEII Park Upgrade
