Longreach Infrastructure Manual
Longreach Regional Council
Purpose
Consistent landscape design is appealing because it creates visual harmony, cohesiveness and simplicity, while also simplifying maintenance, conveying professionalism, offering a timeless quality to the landscape and the ability for a community to express its unique character. A consistent approach can also aid in procurement and potentially save money. Great public spaces can also promote people’s health, happiness and wellbeing and increase the community’s liveability.
For these reasons, Longreach Regional Council sought the development of a Park and Streetscape Infrastructure Manual to provide Council with a tool kit to efficiently and consistently reinforce the identity of each of the region’s townships - Longreach, Ilfracombe, Isisford and Yaraka.
Approach
To develop the Longreach Regional Council Park and Streetscape Infrastructure Manual, CPR Group conducted on-ground site visits and inspections alongside Council Officers to audit the locations, types and conditions of existing park and streetscape infrastructure and identify the plant species used in existing landscaping.
The quality, longevity, colour and consistency of style of existing infrastructure in each township was evaluated, with the best quality, most consistent and most readily available existing infrastructure determining the palette and infrastructure list included in the Manual.
This approach, which involves assessing and adopting the most effective existing elements, makes the development of a Park and Streetscape Infrastructure Manual suitable for communities of any size, individual facilities, or precincts. It can also incorporate community consultation.
Outcomes
The Longreach Regional Council Park and Streetscape Infrastructure Manual provides a foundation for the process of placemaking - reinforcing each townships’ unique character and identity, and creating unity, formalisation and order which generates a sense of pride, quality and value.
Using the Park and Streetscape Infrastructure Manual, Council can apply a consistent and formalised approach to infrastructure and landscaping. It allows for the efficient selection of infrastructure and plant species for new capital projects, expedites the installation process, instils confidence that plant species are well-suited to the local environment, facilitates quick repair and replacement of familiar infrastructure items, and offers opportunities to reduce purchasing costs through bulk buying. This approach also contributes to the extended stay of visitors and the liveability of the community, underscoring the value of the Manual.
