Casino’s CBD is set to come alive with $334,000 from the Nationals in NSW Government to beautify the main street.
Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis said he was delighted to have the Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole in Casino to officially open the CBD revitalisation project, which is part of the NSW Government’s $20 million Streets as Shared Spaces program.
“Richmond Valley Council was granted $334,000 to brighten the community and bring residents together through the newly created green space,” Mr Gulaptis said.
“This eye-catching project, on what was an underutilised block of land, will make the area more vibrant by providing more public space for the community to sit, relax and catch up with friends, admire new art installations, or even dine al fresco in their revitalised surrounds.
“If the pilot projects gain widespread community support, we’ll look to make them permanent so more people can enjoy the outdoors and connect with those around them.”
Richmond Valley Council contributed an additional $30,000 to create The Greens On Barker project, a pop-up activated green space on an under-utilised block of land marked as a future commercial development opportunity.
The space will feature accessible pathways, shade structures, sandstone block seating with landscaping, pavement stencilling and artwork.
Mayor Robert Mustow said the creation of the new community space would foster community connections and help to build the local economy by encouraging people to spend more time in the town centre.
“This new space provides an attractive area which will draw people to the heart of Casino and build a sense of community and support our local businesses,” Cr Mustow said.
“These are key elements for the area identified in Council’s recently released Richmond Valley Growth Management Plan and Casino Place Plan.
“Projects like this are about making Casino an even more liveable town, and I look forward to seeing this revitalised streetscape provide a place for a range of activities to attract both our existing and future community.”
Streets as Shared Spaces capitalises on opportunities created by the pandemic with 70 per cent of people in a recent poll saying they were connecting with people in public spaces instead of at home.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said communities were also demanding better walking and cycling infrastructure.
“Now is the time to capitalise on the increased appetite for open space and safe places to connect with our communities in a meaningful way,” Mr Toole said.
“That’s why we’re transforming our streets to bring more people to the CBD, support businesses and bring the community together.”
The Streets as Shared Spaces program provides funding for councils to test and pilot new and innovative ideas which temporarily adapt streets as safe, shared public spaces to support healthier, safe and resilient communities.
For more information visit: https://www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/premiers-priorities/great-public-spaces/streets/streets-as-shared-spaces-program