Initial Consultation Results

Thank you to those people who have contributed their ideas on ways to improve Cobden’s main streetscape, and to the 60 people who completed and returned the survey to show which project proposals have more or less community support.

What we heard

Council is proposing to allocate $300,000 in its Draft Budget for priority works on Curdie Street early next year. The next step is for our engineers to prepare a draft project plan responding to the priorities identified through the community survey, and to invite feedback on it before it is presented to Council for its consideration and approval.

General Observations

 Sixty people, or 4.7 per cent, of Cobden’s population 15 years and older (ABS Census 2016) completed and returned the survey. It represents an indication of the views of those interested, however it is not to be taken as an effective poll of the views of the township population as a whole.

The existence of the survey and opportunities to participate (online, by phone or hardcopy) were well known in Cobden, including through a letterbox drop to all households carried out by the Cobden Scouts. Whereas some may be disappointed by the limited response, some respondents make clear their view that Cobden’s Streetscape is fine as it is and should not be ‘messed up’.

On the whole survey responses were generally supportive of project elements (54%), compared to ‘not supportive’ or ‘strongly opposed’ (45%), but it was a finely balanced thing. Whereas many people contributed considered ideas to improve the streetscape, there was an element of respondents who were opposed to most change proposals. There were differences here across completed hard-copy and online survey forms, hinting at possible demographic differences between these samples.

A note needs to be made about proposals involving responses to truck traffic in the town centre. One respondent noted that as many as a third of the project ideas involved thoughts on how traffic issues should be better managed. There was a particular focus on oversized vehicles. Whereas some argue that trucks should be diverted from the town centre there is a contrary view that trucks are an essential part of Cobden’s identity and prosperity.

Summary of survey responses (N=60)

Project idea	Support	Neutral	Oppose	Net	1*	5#
31. Tourist signage	42	9	7	35	22	4
30. Tandarook Park	42	7	8	34	29	5
3. Disabled Car parks	38	13	6	32	13	3
26. Toilet cleaning	33	19	5	28	11	-
18. Plantings	33	11	12	21	14	5
14. Directional signs	33	13	12	21	10	2
16. Street numbers	29	13	12	17	10	8
4. Seating	30	12	15	15	14	6
17. Long vehicle parking	31	9	16	15	15	11
22. More footpaths	25	17	12	13	10	2
5. Slippery surfaces	29	10	17	12	11	5
7. Gopher parking	27	14	15	12	7	6
1. Footpath condition	27	12	18	9	12	7
8. Additional car parks	22	16	17	5	8	7
19. Art	25	11	20	5	13	13
28. Hinged banner poles	23	14	19	4	10	10
9. Fairy lights	24	12	20	4	11	12
23. Alternative route	24	10	22	2	13	18
20. Street furniture	23	10	24	-1	12	13
2. Outstand Design	19	17	20	-1	7	7
11. Widen car-parks	22	9	24	-2	9	14
13. Four-way clock	18	11	27	-9	6	17
12. Widen footpaths	18	9	28	-10	7	10
27. Digital notice-board	19	6	29	-10	10	13
15. Bicycle lane markings	13	19	23	-10	2	10
29. Street sound system	17	12	28	-11	4	19
24. Roundabout design	17	11	28	-11	7	14
21. More parking spaces	14	10	33	-19	3	16
6. New street trees	9	14	30	-21	3	10
10. Remove trees	12	7	35	-23	5	17
25. Remove median strip	14	6	37	-23	10	22
SUM TOTALS	752	363	619	33	319	294

 

Summary of findings

Based on the survey, there are 13 project elements which are supported on balance, and 10 which are not. Opinion is closely divided on a further 8 projects elements, so the survey does not support their inclusion in the project plan. As noted previously, some elements are also ‘out of scope’ for one or more reasons.

On the positive side, there is strong support to improve tourist signage. There is overwhelming support to invest in Tandarook Park, and to make better use of this public space. Reviewing the location and number of disabled parks is also a widely supported priority, as is increased frequency of toilet cleaning (out of scope).

Support for better street numbering outnumbered opposition two to one. Proposed street plantings and improved directional signage were also generally favoured. Provision of more/ better seating, long vehicle parking and more footpaths attracted a similar level of support. Remedying slippery surfaces, providing an area or areas for gopher parking and improving the general condition of the footpath areas of the town cent rounded out the list of supported project elements.

Four ideas were strongly opposed through the survey. These were removal of the median strip, removal of trees, planting new street trees and removing kerbing and outstands to provide more parking. Six other proposals attracted significantly more opposition than support, namely redesigning the roundabouts, street sound system, bicycle lane markings, digital noticeboard, widening footpaths to enable outdoor dining and the four-way clock idea.