News

Heathcote Urban Design Framework - what you said

23 October 2024

We asked for your feedback to help shape Heathcote town centre between August 19 and September 16, 2024. We heard from 104 people.

  • 16 people left feedback on the map
  • 38 people completed the survey online
  • 50 people came to the drop-in sessions

What you said

You told us how much you appreciate Heathcote's unique character, its natural beauty, historic charm, and the sense of community pride. You value the town’s connection to local wineries, the surrounding landscape, and the potential for enhancing tourism. Many also expressed enthusiasm for improving public spaces and recreational facilities.

Your feedback fell into seven broad categories:

You raised concerns about:

  • the need for safer pedestrian crossings
  • better footpaths
  • improved access for people with disabilities

You gave mixed feedback about the availability of parking. You asked for better enforcement of time limits and more disabled parking spaces.

Requests for more public toilets in the town centre, particularly for truck drivers and children in the playground.

There’s a strong desire for more retail options, including another supermarket.

You would like to see:

  • upgrades to local parks and playgrounds
  • better access to the swimming pool and walking tracks
  • the possibility of another skate park and golf course

Suggestions for more tree planting, improved landscaping, and better heritage preservation.

Suggestions included:

  • better signage for tourist attractions
  • promoting local wineries
  • enhancing the town’s visual appeal with public art and murals

Some suggestions received are outside of the City’s control and cannot be delivered by a UDF. Feedback such as extended retail hours, specific or more retail stores depend on private businesses, and request for high schools, additional - ambulance, Country Fire Authority and State Emergency Services are managed through various state departments.

Next steps

This feedback will guide the development of the draft Heathcote Urban Design Framework, which will be shared for further community input. Please follow the project to be kept up to date.