Council’s $500,000 bid to boost Bunbury CBD

Bunbury City Council will consider using half a million dollars from its closing surplus in a cash boost to its CBD action plan aimed at future development.

The council this week endorsed the findings in a Bunbury City Centre Outcomes Report, which was put together by city staff following several community and stakeholder workshops.

The council held a forum for business owners and the wider community in 2018 when they were asked to share their ideas on how the CBD could become more vibrant and a more attractive place to visit. It also held community pop-up sessions.

The workshops identified challenges and opportunities with the city centre with the outcomes set to form an action plan for the CBD.

Mayor Gary Brennan said the plan would provide achievable immediate, short, medium and long-term actions to deliver social and economic benefits to the city.

“This plan will address the existing and future issues facing Bunbury and will coordinate local and State Government, private enterprise and local industry to provide focus for a revitalised city centre,” Mr Brennan said.

“Our aim is to have a connected, colourful, capable and confident city centre – these will become the four pillars of the plan.

“Actions which may result from the plan include improved linkages to the CBD and improvements to streetscapes as well as activation of areas.”

The council is preparing actions under each of the four pillars in order to form the draft plan, which will then be publicly advertised before being presented to the council for final adoption.

The council supported considering $500,000 in funding for the CBD Action Plan in the 2019-20 budget, from this year’s closing surplus.