What are your views on The Mall roof and upgrade? Clean Up Launceston recently made a submission during the public consultation phase which began on Monday,February 5 Highlights of this submission included: POSTER POLES to be included in the design of The Mall Roof and raised stage. I raised concerns about the trade promotions and street dining that may occur under the roof. It is great to be able to sit outside with a meal,some of the restaurants in Charles Street provide a great atmosphere, but THE METZ customers make it difficult to pass by at times,while BANJOS and BAKERS DOZEN do not maintain their areas often enough, I asked whether they receive an exemption from the Council which allows them to litter,or if they are are paying a levy for the Council to maintain the area if the latter is the case then obviously the Council needs to increase the frequency of cleaning,put on some manual street sweepers and reinstate the "red rover' pavement cleaning service. Who wants to sit around in the previous customer's litter!!! I suggested there should be conditions placed on future street dining applications that reusable crockery only be used. I further put that there be a condition that the hirers of The Mall remove all their property from The Mall at the end of their licence period, including leaflets etc given away to potential clients. If there are bottled beverages to be sold from The Mall under or near the roofed area the vendor must provide a recycling container N.B. note all glass,steel,aluminium and most plastic bottles are recyclables . Clean Up Launceston is only too willing to consult with Aldermen or Officers re Mall recycling facilities,poster poles or other issues related to The Mall upgrade during this public consultation phase.
THE MALL UPGRADE FURTHER THOUGHTS The public consultation may reveal that the public do not want more street dining -there are already many opportunities for this to occur and possibly could threaten the viability of existing businesses. therefore the seeking of expressions of interest is premature. Will the covered area still allow natural light? The information sheet supplied by the Council does not answer this question ,from discussion with the responsible council officer I have learnt that it will What level of protection will there be against harmful UV rays under the roof? Apparently quite high Will freeflow of pedestrians be guaranteed at all times under the roof? There certainly should be. The information sheet supplied by the Council does not answer this question With greater use of The Mall this could be a problem. Will the stage area also have a roof? or is it situated under the same roof? From the information displayed at the service centre it is clear there are 2 separate roof structures. The Proposed Feature - will this be a product of a local artist or designer? The information sheet supplied by the Council does not answer this question Existing Planting - When replanting there is a need to consider ease of cleaning and there should also be a more regular maintenance regime than at present. Clean Up Launceston will be consulting further with Council on this matter. How often have grates around trees been lifted to remove litter? Council are yet to respond to this question. I suspect never,the only time they raise the grates is to remove the trees. How often have the planter pots been thoroughly cleaned and re-earthed? Council are yet to respond to this question. I suspect never,the only time they may rearth the planters is when they replace the plantings The information sheet supplied by the Council does not answer this question Existing Seating - There should be no reduction in casual seating,seating layouts should be flexible,similar to the suburban shopping centres. Seats should be constructed from a timber look alike,which is made of mixed recycled plastics. Other areas of Australia have used this material for their street furniture successfully ,Clean Up Launceston will be consulting further with Council on this. Information Booth - An Information Booth should be retained somewhere in The Mall. Perhaps a hole in the wall,the servery should be lower ,and there should be greater opportunity to display products and fact sheets. Local Suppliers,Designers,Builders,and Architects should be given preference over imported labour and equipment. regardless of cheaper tenders There should be a safe and secure child playspace in The Mall. THE MALL NAME What was not discussed in the information sheet prepared by Council is a New Name. The community could become more involved with The Mall if it had a new name.Many people probably do not realize that the Brisbane St Mall's official name is The Brisbane St Mall. Perhaps a competition could be held to find a new name and logo for this city space. Maybe one that recognizes the original owners of the site was suggested when Clean Up Launceston consulted with Council.
ELECTOR FEEDBACK email me cleanup2000@elaunceston.com or ring 0409 414 562 |