FED-UP Coleambally businesses have called on council to help formulate a plan to give the town’s run-down CBD a makeover.
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The Brolga Place shopping precinct, established in 1968, has become so outdated that stock inside shops is being damaged during heavy rain days, with the drainage system unable to cope.
Shopowners are also asking council to redesign the footpath area to make the ramps leading into shops more uniform. Coleambally Chamber of Commerce president and Brolga Place retailer Lyn Stuckings has urged council to compile a management plan for the area.
“Drainage is the big issue because we have inward sloping awnings and in a heavy downpour, the downpipes can’t cope and the gutters flow into the shops,” Mrs Stuckings said.
“We need an overall plan to deal with the whole area.”
The issue was discussed at a recent meeting with Murrumbidgee shire general manager and $6000 has been allocated in the 2013/14 council budget to research and draw up designs for the area.
But funding beyond the design stage has not been allocated.
“The plan to do all the work would be really expensive – you’re looking at a couple of hundred thousand dollars,” Ms Upston said.
“(Negotiations) are at a standstill at the moment but the issue is never far from my mind.
“A lot of those businesses are struggling to survive and it’s important the community realises that unless they shop there, they might lose some of the shops.”
The CBD shopping area currently has 100 per cent tenancy but Mrs Stuckings said businesses continued to battle.
“It’s still tough out there and we have competition from the big towns. I also think there’s still some uncertainty over the basin plan.”
