Tweed Heads Masterplan - Overview

"The Taskforce has satisfied the terms of reference to identify opportunities to create a successful and sustainable town centre at Tweed Heads, and provide a framework for the revitalization program. I wish to congratulate the Taskforce members and thank the co chairs Mr Neville Newell MP, Mr John Griffin and the project Manager Mr Magdy Youssef for their commitment to the revitalisation of Tweed Heads Town Centre over the last 2 years."
The Hon. Diane Beamer, MP, Minister for Juvenile Justice, Minister for Western Sydney, and Minister Assisting the Minister for Infrastructure and Planning (Planning Administration).

The taskforce was appointed by the then Minister for Planning NSW in June 2002 to provide advice and make recommendations to the Minister on the revitalisation of Tweed Heads Town Centre Precinct. In order to provide this advice the Taskforce has determined to prepare an overall Masterplan for the Town Centre Precinct.

The vision for Tweed Heads Town Centre Masterplan was based on the outcome of the current community consultations undertaken by the taskforce and the background studies commissioned by the Taskforce.

The overriding objective for Tweed Heads Town Centre Precinct is to create a vibrant town centre for people to work, live and play with a variety of commercial, retail, educational and cultural activities. The Masterplan intends to create opportunities to take advantage of the current regional facilities provided within the study area including the hospital, the Southern Cross University, the clubs and the retail facilities. The Masterplan will aim at creating a well connected pedestrian network which is aesthetically pleasing for easy access to and within the town centre.

The current public open space along the foreshore and within the town centre precinct is intended to be landscaped and designed to create a network of public open space integrating Jack Evans Boatharbour with the town centre core, with opportunities to create culture and community venues for residents and visitors alike.

In order to revitalise the town centre a variety of residential development will be encouraged with greater concentration at the core but extend throughout the precinct, to house a mix of density, height, types and tenure to encourage a demographic mix.

Study Objectives

The Tweed Heads Town centre Masterplan provides a frame work to guide and assist in achieving the revitalisation of Tweed Heads Town Centre combining the direction-setting and coordination aspects of centre strategies with detailed practical design and planning guidance.

The Masterplan has been developed to:

• Identify and develop urban design and planning framework that draws together principles and guidelines to guide and set specific direction for the revitalisation and appropriate development of Tweed Heads Town Centre precinct.
• Establish the physical frame work for the Town Centre including the location, distribution and mix of land uses, open space network and all public domain.
• Identify options to achieve efficient intracentre mobility, improve walkability and public transport supportiveness (including light rail) focusing on pedestrian movements, connectivity between key sites, and connectivity with the River, beaches and Coolangatta town centre.

Study Area

The Tweed Heads Town Centre precinct is bounded by the state border (Boundary, Thompson, and Dixon Streets)to the north and west, the Tweed River and Terranora Inlet to the east, Florence and Angela Streets to the south. The study area also includes the civic centre precinct bounded by Florence, Powell, and Solander Streets. The strategy should consider the Queensland side of the border in both the physical and functional sense. The study area needs to be seen in a regional context in both NSW and Queensland.

Masterplan Strategies

ITweed Heads Masterplan recommends nine important strategies to create the sustainable future for Tweed Heads CBD:-

• 1. The Land Use Strategy
  To improve and maximise the use of the existing and future movement systems and to provide a high level of urban environmental amenity for residents, workers and visitors.
• 2. Movement Strategy
  To improve the connectivity and patterns of movement within the Town Centre.
• 3. Pedestrian and Bicycle Strategy
  To concentrate activities along designated routes and design human scaled spaces and streets where pedestrian activity is to be encouraged.
• 4. Water Strategy
  The proximity and importance of water to Tweed Heads Town Centre means appropriate methods of treating and improving water quality and managing the water cycle are fundamental to the longevity and sustainability of the tourism industry and community well-being.
• 5. Open Space Strategy
  The open space strategy is central to achieving the vision for Tweed Heads including the principle objectives to establish the Jack Evans Boat Harbour as a centerpiece for the Town Centre. This is critical to its long term sustainability and economic viability.
• 6. The Landscape Strategy
  Outlines recommendations for existing vegetation and for the implementation of a tree planting and landscape strategy within The Town Centre precinct.
• 7. The Visual Strategy
  Outlines the retention, enhancement and establishment of key visual elements within the Town Centre such as landmarks, views, vistas and view corridors.
• 8. Cultural and Tourism Strategy
  The principal objective of the cultural and tourism strategy is to establish a layer to the urban structure highlighting the local features, revealing its history and providing a sense of place.
• 9. Building Height Strategy
  The proposed building height strategy is a significant departure from the existing built form controls.
  The overall intention of the building height strategy is for new built form to respond to the topography and provide opportunity for water views rather than a single height datum that creates a 'crew cut' effect across the Town Centre core and Flagstaff Hill.

"The Masterplan strategies have been integrated to provide a coordinated approach for the revitalisation of Tweed Heads Town Centre."
Mr Neville Newell, State member for Tweed, Chair Taskforce

For further queries contact:
Magdy Youssef, Ministerial Taskforce Project Manager,
phone: 07 5536 9517,
mobile: 0417 785 767,
email: magdyy@bigpond.com.au