Boolaroo Local Centre improvements

The project is a long-term program to renew Main Road and improve the public spaces within the Boolaroo Local Centre. It combines essential road rehabilitation with a streetscape master plan for a safer, more accessible, attractive and connected centre.

The broader Main Road project extends from Park Road, Speers Point, to Parrott Street, Boolaroo. The Boolaroo Improvement Project focuses on the Boolaroo local centre and the surrounding Main Road corridor.

About 1.4km of Main Road has ageing and deteriorated pavement, footpaths, kerbs and other infrastructure affected by historical ground movement. Council has also received ongoing community reports about the condition and safety of pedestrian infrastructure. The project is intended to improve safety, accessibility and network performance, reduce ongoing maintenance needs and support future growth.

Planning will consider road reconstruction, intersection and traffic-management improvements, safer and more accessible walking and cycling connections, public transport access, landscaping, shade and greening, public spaces, heritage interpretation and other public domain improvements. Options will be tested against safety, technical, cost, maintenance, utility and delivery requirements.

The project aims to retain, celebrate and interpret local heritage, including Aboriginal cultural heritage and industrial heritage. It will build on the 2024 Heritage Interpretation Plan and seek further stakeholder input as design directions are developed.

The project is planned in three stages:

1. Streetscape master plan, informed by place research and community engagement
2. Detailed design
3. Construction

A construction start date can’t yet be estimated. Funding is secured for 2026–2027 work including community engagement, place research, project recommendations and the overlay that will inform the streetscape master plan. Future stages depend on funding, approvals, engagement outcomes and detailed design.

Stage 1 includes an online survey from 2 November to 29 November 2026, onsite engagement from 5 to 7 November 2026 and a community workshop proposed for February 2027.

Engagement will explore what people value about Boolaroo, how Main Road is working now, what improvements are most importance to the community and acceptable trade-offs. This includes topics such as pedestrian safety, accessibility, parking, movement, public space, shade and greening, local identity, heritage and support for local businesses.

Feedback from the survey, place assessments and community workshop will be combined with technical investigations and strategic planning work.

The findings will help develop:

• place recommendations for Boolaroo Local Centre
• a design overlay for Main Road
• the streetscape master plan

These documents will help guide future planning, funding applications and infrastructure investment in the area.

Survey, onsite assessment and workshop findings will be analysed and used to prepare place recommendations and an overlay for the streetscape master plan.

Community input will inform decisions alongside engineering investigations, safety standards, accessibility requirements, funding, cost, constructability and long-term maintenance needs. Council will publish updates as the work progresses.

Over the past six years, Council has received more than 50 requests relating to footpaths, pedestrian safety, traffic conditions, drainage and road infrastructure in the area.

Community engagement undertaken for the 2024 Boolaroo Heritage Interpretation Plan also identified four things people value most about Boolaroo:

• Its strong community spirit and village feel
• Its unique heritage
• A connected and walkable centre
• Convenient access to local services

This project builds on that work.

Early engagement helps identify local priorities, understand how people use Main Road, test potential trade-offs and address issues before designs are finalised. This reduces delivery risk and helps position future design and funding decisions around clear community and technical evidence.

Yes. Engagement for the 2024 Boolaroo Main Road Heritage Interpretation Plan involved Aboriginal stakeholders, residents, business owners and the broader community. It identified the importance of Boolaroo’s community feel, unique heritage, walkability and local businesses, as well as concerns about traffic, pedestrian safety, maintenance, development pressure and essential services. This project will build on that work rather than start again.

No final decisions have been made. Parking will be considered with pedestrian safety, accessibility, traffic movement, public space and support for local businesses. Any proposed changes will be tested through engagement, technical assessment and design development.

Council intends to work directly with businesses and service providers during detailed design to understand access, deliveries, parking, customer movement and operating needs. Construction methods and mitigation measures will be developed before works begin, with the aim of minimising disruption and maintaining clear access and wayfinding.

Detailed arrangements will be developed once the design, construction method and timing are known. Planning will need to address access for residents, businesses, customers, pedestrians, public transport and emergency services, together with traffic management, noise, dust, ground-disturbance precautions and clear advance notice of changed conditions.