An urban plan to revitalise the city centre of Burnie

Burnie (pataway) was established as a key port, which has evolved over time to become a significant centre for Tasmania’s north-west region. Burnie’s city centre features a major portion of the city’s retail, business, professional, civic, entertainment and hospitality activities, and waterfront zone. The broader locality become a popular tourist destination for food and wine, walks and leisure activities, penguin watching, nature walks and sea cruises.

Our First Nations community used Burnie’s coastline and landscape for fishing, hunting and gathering – with prominent geological features providing vantage points for signalling. This is an untold part of Burnie’s heritage, representing a key opportunity to work with First Nations representatives on how they would like to see their culture, stories and values reflected in Burnie.

We were engaged to develop an urban plan for the city centre in design packages that can be taken forward over the next 15-20 years by Burnie City Council (BCC). The Burnie city centre urban plan is an opportunity for the community of Burnie to decide how they want the future of their city to play out. For residents of Burnie, it presents an opportunity to reflect on the history of the city, its Indigenous roots and industrial heritage.

While we are presently in the early stages of the project, our approach is built on GHD’s Loveable Framework, creating a strong affinity to place. A ‘liveable’ city provides the hard infrastructure, but a ‘loveable’ city provides the character that contributes to a sense of place and community.

In the case of Burnie’s City Centre, this means reflecting on the stories, experiences and current culture that give Burnie its identity, as the foundation for determining priorities for the future and improvement works.

The core objectives of the project are to:

·         Reinforce and celebrate Burnie’s identity and cultural values.

·         Improve the overall amenity and draw people into the city centre through engaging beautification works and activities.

·         Explore opportunities for further planting and other enhancements.

·         Promote greater inclusivity and safe conditions for different users and family friendly settings.

·         Help create a stronger sense of pride and ownership within the city.

·         Improve ease of movement for pedestrians and other modes.

·         Re-establish Burnie (pataway) as the cultural and business gateway for Tasmania’s north-west coast region.

The urban plan will help reinvigorate the beating heart of Burnie by connecting the community and fostering a strong sense of pride and identity. It will stimulate business and activity, rekindling the city's rhythm, flow and harmony, to create an inspiring hub that pioneers a brave and resilient future.

The transformation of Burnie will drive it forward as a place for people to live, work, play and do business. By employing our Loveable Framework principles, we will bring the community on a journey, delivering ownership and pride.

The outcomes of the city centre urban plan will capture the essence of Burnie's unique identity as the “City of Makers”. With planned revitalisation efforts, the city centre has the potential to soar. The impact on the city will be transformational through capital works, programs and a change of focus on celebrating the creative makers in the community.

Flagship projects are envisioned along the foreshore, with better trail connections through the city allowing for improved walkability, recognition of the port and the cultural relationship with the marine environment, and an expansion of community services and infrastructure that will support the future population of the city.