Clarence City Council is inviting the community to re-engage with the much-anticipated Clarence City Heart Plan and provide feedback through a fourth round of community engagement.
The Clarence City Heart Plan provides a conceptual long-term vision for the Clarence CBD that aims to transform the area from a regional hub into a vibrant city centre with thriving precincts for residents, businesses, and visitors.
Clarence City Council Mayor Brendan Blomeley said the milestone had followed extensive community research and engagement since 2020, including the facilitation of stakeholder and community focus groups, workshops, pop-ups, drop-ins, panel discussions, webinars and surveys.
“We are very excited to bring the final draft Plan to the community. Now that the uncertainty surrounding whether the AFL/AFLW High Performance Centre would be included in the Plan has been resolved, Council is committed to seeing the City Heart precincts developed, guided by the Plan,” Mayor Blomeley said.
“The ideas in the final draft Plan reflect what we have heard from our community as well as building on Council’s own work to make our municipality a welcoming, inclusive and vibrant place to work, live and play.
“Clarence is a rapidly growing city, and we’re proud to have created a community-supported vision for the future that celebrates our cultural heritage, while positioning us as a leader in the global movement for more liveable urban spaces.”
The Plan focuses on key developments such as public green spaces, cultural activities, transport corridors and walkable streets, embracing diversity and creating a pathway for a sustainable and inclusive city centre to grow and flourish.
The draft Clarence City Heart Plan identifies eight key interconnected precincts, each with their own vision and character.
Mayor Blomeley said Council hoped the plan would establish a true sense of place for Clarence while expanding and diversifying the local economy to prepare for current and future growth.
“The Clarence City Heart Plan balances commerce, education and cultural activities with sustainable, human-scale development, creating a liveable city that reflects Clarence’s unique cultural, social and environmental values,” Mayor Blomeley said.
“It prioritises pedestrian safety and access, bicycle networks and integrated transport systems, and envisions a cohesive community hub that connects people to public spaces, fosters education and economic vitality and celebrates our natural environment.”
“With the delay caused by the High Performance Centre decision, it has been a while since we have shared the Plan with the community.
“We invite all Clarence residents to re-engage with the Plan and if you are able, spend some time in the eight precincts to get a greater understanding of Plan’s vision for each area.
“This is a long-term project with transformative possibilities, and we’re determined to work with the people of Clarence to get it right.”
The Clarence and wider community are invited to provide feedback through an online survey, open from Tuesday, 3 December to Sunday, 2 February.