Kent Street green space in Maryborough to be redeveloped

Maryborough’s old council admin site in the CBD will be redeveloped into a stunning community space able to withstand the ravages of flooding.

A look at what Maryborough's green space in Kent St could look like if a draft masterplan goes ahead.

A new draft masterplan for the green space where Maryborough’s council administration building once stood has been revealed - and the public has been invited to weigh in on the future of the city’s former baby clinic.

A movie screening and display wall, pathways, pergolas, shade trees, concrete and wooden benches and sculptural bicycle racks are among the initiatives proposed in a draft masterplan for the Kent Street green space.

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

It comes after the council decided it would not rebuild its administration centre in the flood zone, opting instead to retain the green space created by the demolition of the building in 2020.

At its meeting on Wednesday, January 24, Fraser Coast Regional Council endorsed the draft masterplan to go out for community engagement, with a further report to come back to council following that process.

Mayor George Seymour said the two parcels of land were strategically located in the CBD opposite City Hall and close to the Adelaide Street markets, Queens Park and a range of historic buildings.

“The former Maryborough Baby Clinic is a historically significant building and both this building and the undeveloped land beside it provide a fantastic opportunity to create a vibrant community space,” he said.

“The draft master plan has been developed based on community feedback received so far and is intended to guide the future design and development of the old Maryborough administration building site that is now green space.

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

A look at what Maryborough's green space in Kent St could look like if a draft masterplan goes ahead.

Councillor Daniel Sanderson said a formal community consultation process on the draft plan would start in the coming weeks, and he encouraged everyone interested in the space to have their say.

“There are 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,” he said.

“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.

“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 displayed through a statue of a nurse, mother and baby while sculptural bicycle racks could also be included.

The vacant green space in Kent St.

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

Councillor Paul Truscott said expressions of interest would formally be sought for the lease of the former Baby Clinic site.

“The Maryborough Arts Society has already shown some interest in using the site as an exhibition space and there will soon be a formal process to lease the site,” he said.

“Council thanks everyone who has provided feedback and input to allow the draft masterplan to be prepared.

“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 the area is an active and attractive area.

A look at what Maryborough's green space in Kent St could look like if a draft masterplan goes ahead.

“We look forward to a further report coming to council following the EOI process for the former baby clinic site and the formal community engagement on the draft masterplan.”

The Mayor and councillors thanked everyone who had provided feedback and input to allow the draft masterplan to be prepared, particularly the Mary Inc. group, for their efforts to create discussion and generate ideas.

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

The former Maryborough Baby Clinic was built in 1924 and served 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.