Maryborough Old Admin Site Masterplan

Fraser Coast residents who took the opportunity to have their say on a draft master plan for the Maryborough CBD’s newest community space were overwhelmingly in favour of it.

Mayor George Seymour said the draft masterplan aimed to guide the future design and development of the old Maryborough Council administration building site that is now green space and the former Maryborough Baby Clinic.

“Council consulted with the community over four weeks in March using a range of methods, including a survey, written submissions, displays at the Maryborough Markets, a School Captains Network meeting and a stall at a community event in Tinana,” he said.

“The overall findings show that 94 per cent of survey participants were positive about the plan, voicing their support for measures such as the retention of open space, greenery, historical recognition of the site, shaded areas, seating, artwork and accessible pathways.

“The next step is to finalise the master plan for Council endorsement, with the development to roll out as funding becomes available in the future.”

Deputy Mayor Paul Truscott said a range of interesting initiatives were included in the draft masterplan for the Maryborough CBD space.

“Custom-designed pergolas are proposed over sections of a walkway to provide protection from the weather, and this would be supplemented with the planting of native vines and shade trees such as Maryborough’s iconic tree – the scarlet bottlebrush,” he said.

“There are also proposals for a projection on the School of Art building wall, as well as art and sculpture within the site to reflect the history and importance of the space and surrounding buildings.

“There has been a lot of work carried out in recent years to revitalise the Maryborough CBD and this new masterplan provides an opportunity to build on that good work to ensure this is an active and attractive area.

“The overarching vision is to create an integrated civic precinct that respects the historical significance of the site while also providing a connected, functional and flexible community space.”

Cr Daniel Sanderson said survey respondents had a range of views on how they would like to see the former Baby Clinic building used.

“Options supported include a community space (30 per cent), an arts and culture venue (24 per cent), a bar, café or tourism information centre (24 per cent), to provide services to mothers with babies and children (16 per cent), or to celebrate the history of the building (15 per cent),” he said.

“Council also sought expressions of interest to lease the former Baby Clinic and while there were several community groups that inspected the building, no formal submissions were received.

“The vacant building was impacted by the 2022 floods and requires significant interior remediation work to make it suitable for public use.

“As Council supported the listing of the building on the Local and State Heritage Registers, we have agreed to consider allocating funds to restore the building as part of the 2024/25 mid-year budget review.

“Council is eager to ensure the best possible use of this space within the heart of Maryborough.”

Council also resolved to consider providing a lease to the Maryborough Regional Art Society in Maryborough.

The green space was created after an independent engineering report found that the former Fraser Coast Regional Council building at 431 Kent Street had reached the end of its working life and had to be demolished.

The former Maryborough Baby Clinic was built in 1924 and continued to serve the community until its closure in the 1990s. It was bought by Council in 2020 and listed on the Queensland State Heritage Register that year.

For more information and copies of the draft masterplan and the community engagement report, visit https://frasercoast.engagementhub.com.au/mb-admin-site-masterplan

Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We are now reviewing all the feedback from the community. A report will be considered by Council in the coming months. Please follow this page for project updates.

Have you had a say on the draft design for the Maryborough CBD’s newest community space?

We want your feedback on the draft master plan for the former Council building site across from City Hall.

If you’re heading to the Maryborough Markets today or next Thursday, stop by our stall on Town Hall Green. You can check out large-scale drafts of the design, and share your thoughts via a quick survey.

You can also visit Council’s Engagement Hub website and do the survey online at any time here.

But be quick! Paper surveys must be in by COB Thursday 28 March and online feedback is due by midnight Monday 1 April.

**Calling all businesses and community groups interested in leasing the former Maryborough Baby Clinic on Kent Street**

The formal Expression of Interest (EOI) process is open now until 18 April 2024, with more info available here.

A piece of our heritage, the former Maryborough Baby Clinic has been serving the community since 1924 until its closure in the 1990s. It was bought by Council in 2020 and was listed on the Queensland State Heritage Register that year.

It is currently vacant and requires interior remediation.

**Site Inspections:** Interested parties are invited to inspect the building on:

• Thursday, 21 March, from 10am to 11am
• Thursday, 28 March, from 10am to 11am

Note: Attending a site inspection is a mandatory step in the EOI process.

Separate to this EOI, we’re also seeking community input on the draft master plan for the former Council building site next to the former Baby Clinic.

Check out the draft designs for this space and complete the online survey by 1 April on this project page.

Fraser Coast residents are encouraged to have their say on a draft design for the Maryborough CBD’s newest community space.

Fraser Coast Regional Council CEO Ken Diehm said a draft masterplan had been prepared to guide the future development of the old Council administration building site in Maryborough that is now green space.

“Council endorsed the draft masterplan to go out for community engagement, and now is the opportunity for local residents to let us know what they think about the designs and ideas proposed for this area in Kent Street,” he said.

“At the same time, Council is also now seeking expressions of interest from groups or individuals wanting to lease the former Maryborough Baby Clinic.

“Both this building and the green space beside it provide a fantastic opportunity to create a vibrant community space in a strategic Maryborough CBD location.

“The overarching vision is to create an integrated civic precinct that respects the historical significance of the site while also providing a connected, functional and flexible community space.”

A copy of the draft masterplan and an online survey is available on Council’s Engagement Hub website at https://frasercoast.engagementhub.com.au/mb-admin-site-masterplan

Community consultation is open today (Monday 4 March) through to Monday 1 April 2024.

Council staff will have a pop-up engagement stall outside Maryborough City Hall during the Maryborough Markets on Thursdays throughout March with hard copies of the draft masterplan and survey forms. Please note that printed surveys are due in by Thursday 28 March 2024.

Groups or individuals wanting more information about leasing the former Maryborough Baby Clinic site and lodging an expression of interest should contact Council’s Customer Service team on 1300 79 49 29 or email enquiry@frasercoast.qld.gov.au

Mr Diehm said there were a range of interesting ideas put forward in the draft master plan including using the exposed brick wall on the School of Arts building as a movie screening wall or large projection surface.

“Custom-designed pergolas are proposed over sections of a walkway to provide protection from the weather, and this would be supplemented with the planting of native vines and shade trees such as Maryborough’s iconic tree – the scarlet bottlebrush,” he said.

“There are also proposals for art and sculpture within the site to reflect the history and importance of the space and surrounding buildings.

“Recognition of the former baby clinic could be celebrated with a statue of a nurse, mother and baby or with sculptural bicycle racks.

“There has been a lot of work carried out in recent years to revitalise the Maryborough CBD and this new masterplan provides an opportunity to build on that good work to ensure this is an active and attractive area.

“Council is keen to create connected, inclusive communities and spaces and that’s what this draft masterplan seeks to achieve.”

A report outlining the feedback from the community engagement process will be prepared in the coming months for Council’s consideration.

The green space was created after an independent engineering report found that the former Fraser Coast Regional Council building at 431 Kent Street had reached the end of its working life and had to be demolished.

The former Maryborough Baby Clinic was built in 1924 and continued to serve the community until its closure in the 1990s. It was bought by Council in 2020 and listed on the Queensland State Heritage Register that year.

It is currently vacant with an estimated $500,000 in interior remediation work required to make the building suitable for public activation.