Matthew Garwood reflects on early reactions to Launceston's new parklets (15/2/25)

The Examiner

Launceston mayor Matthew Garwood reflects on initial customer and business reaction to the city's new streetside dining decks. Video by Aaron Smith (15/2/25)

Transcript

00:00So this trial's been going on for a couple of months now, we've predominantly looked

00:03at George Street as a part of the trial process.

00:06George Street already has quite a bit of infrastructure here with the cafes and the on-street opportunities

00:11and we knew that we would actually make a bit of an impact.

00:14Losing some car spots along here would create that conversation and it's not a conversation

00:18that we've been afraid of at the City of Launceston as well.

00:21So it's really about taking that feedback from the businesses, the community and then

00:26taking that back into Council and sort of collating all of that data and I think it's

00:31been a really great initiative.

00:32It's an initiative that's evolved over time, we've seen even this one that we're standing

00:36out the front on has been relocated.

00:38So we had some further up in George Street, wasn't quite being as utilised as well, some

00:42businesses had some feedback about the access and loading zones, so we've relocated it down

00:46to here and it's one of my favourite ones to come up past, and past Amelia's, and the

00:50most utilised.

00:51So I think it's been a really great opportunity for us to try something different and to come

00:56back and listen to the community.

00:58Always losing car spots in the CBD particularly is going to create some conversation, but

01:03it's further conversation that we're going to have in Council about what parking looks

01:06like to the City of Launceston.

01:07Over the next couple of months we're going to be doing some really extensive reviews

01:11about that, but if you want to be on the street, I think if we look at some first hour freeze

01:17and get that rotation of business going for businesses, and if you want to stay a bit

01:21longer, go into a multi-storey.

01:22If you have the ability to walk an extra block, the passive ways in which you can walk past

01:26some vibrancy like these parklets is really useful to our city.

01:30And yeah, I think that parking should be for those who need it with accessibility challenges

01:35and also deliveries, and if you can walk that block then yeah, we're going to continue to

01:39incentivise that here in the city and try and create that vibrancy.

01:43I think it's shown that the customers are really enjoying spending time outside while

01:48they're here.

01:49It gives them an opportunity to sit outside and enjoy the sun and enjoy the weather, and

01:56overall we're just getting more people from it, which is nice.

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