Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
A miniature park, or ‘parklet’, will be installed this week that will bring more shade, greenery and community activity to the Bluewater Quay.
The temporary placemaking intervention will remain in place for about three months and will act as a trial to test community sentiment and public use of the area.
Mayor Greg Williamson said the parklet was a quick win to help continue the reactivation of the Riverfront Precinct.
“We’ve had some tremendous success lately with the Riverfront Action Plan,” Mayor Williamson said.
“This plan began with extensive collaboration between council and State support agencies to engage with homeless people in the area and make it safe, tidy and welcoming for the public,” he said.
“We then moved to the activation phase which saw a fee-free food truck and recreation provider trial, which has seen hundreds of people flocking to the area on the weekends, especially on Saturday mornings.
“This parklet trial directly responds to community feedback gathered during engagement on the Mackay Waterfront Place Strategy.
“The community told us they wanted more shade, more greenery and more reasons to spend time at Bluewater Quay.
“This temporary parklet is a practical way to test those ideas on the ground, activate the space and see how people use it before considering longerterm options.”
The parklet has been designed and supplied by specialist placemaking company Future Village, using highquality temporary furniture and greenery to create an inviting, flexible space for locals and visitors.
Mayor Williamson said the project would support communityled activations and complement existing events at the waterfront.
“We’re working closely with market convenors and local community stakeholders to ensure this space supports a range of activities,” he said.
“It’s about creating a place where people can meet, relax and connect, whether they’re attending a market, hosting a small group activity or simply enjoying the river.
“This is a trial, but it’s an important one. If it proves successful, there is potential to purchase and recycle the parklet for use in other Waterfront and City Centre locations, helping us to activate various locations as needed.”
Caption: The temporary parklet is a practical way to activate the Bluewater Quay and see how people use it before council considers longerterm options. Image supplied
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