Devonport Chamber of Commerce and Industry among those calling for traffic to go through the Rooke Street Mall

One of Tasmania’s major centres wants to buck the trend of pedestrian malls in a move the chamber of commerce says it could transform the space for the better. Here’s what they want.

Rooke Street Mall Devonport

The majority of business owners operating in and around the Rooke Street Mall in Devonport want to see the area open up to traffic.

The mall is currently pedestrian-only like its counterparts at Elizabeth St in Hobart and Brisbane St in Launceston, has remained largely unchanged.

However, a recent survey by the Devonport Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) found that 62 per cent of retailers favour opening the Rooke Street Mall to traffic.

DCCI President Claire Connelly said retailers were ready to see change in the mall.

“From a broader community perspective, people would really like to see the mall be more vibrant, kind of like a high street in a way so that it’s a lot more lively and has more atmosphere,” Ms Connelly said.

“We want it to build on some of the other exciting things in and around Devonport.”

Devonport Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Claire Connelly. Picture: Supplied

Over the last few years, as part of the local council’s living city initiative, the waterfront area of the Devonport CBD has been subject to significant development, most notably the Novotel Hotel and Market Square Pavillion, the latter of which Ms Connelly says has been “under-utilised”.

She would like to see the Rooke Street Mall designed to be more interconnected with Devonport’s waterfront.

“When you look at the mall visually, in my view, it’s not overly appealing,” Ms Connelly said.

“If you look at nearby Stewart Street, for example, the landscaping has a mixture of plenty of footpath space for pedestrians, but also parking; the look and feel is different.

“There is a bit of an old-school thought that malls, in general, actually push people away from shop fronts.

“The south end of Stewart Street probably has a nicer look and feel, and people can walk past shop fronts and do a bit of window shopping.”

Devonport City Council General Manager Matthew Atkins said it was in the early stages of considering the future of the Rooke Street Mall.

“For many years, the Rooke Street Mall precinct was the only dedicated pedestrian and public open space area within the CBD,” Mr Atkins said.

“With the development of Waterfront Park and Market Square, the city now offers a number of other event, community and parkland areas within the city.

“This, in turn, provides the opportunity for the council to engage with business operators, commercial property owners, and the broader community as to how they would like to see the Rooke Street Mall function into the future, including the types of infrastructure and activities they would like to see prioritised in this area moving ahead.”