Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the draft concept designs.

Consultation on the draft concept designs for Reibey Street was open from 7 October to 7 November 2025. We heard from a wide range of people in our community with feedback showing strong community care for Reibey Street and the future of the Ulverstone CBD.

The strongest message was that practicality comes first: people want free and convenient parking, safer crossings, accessible footpaths, and a town centre that feels clean and well maintained.

People supported the goal of a more attractive and welcoming main street, but many said any changes must protect free, convenient access for shoppers and support local business, especially for older residents and people with mobility needs.

What people raised most:

• Parking is seen as the foundation of Reibey Street’s success, especially for small business, with strong concern the draft concepts remove too many bays.
• The community response is not anti-revitalisation—people want upgrades, but only if Reibey Street remains practical, accessible and easy to use, particularly for an ageing community and people with disability.
• Free, convenient, close parking is viewed as Ulverstone’s competitive advantage, attracting shoppers from across the North West Coast.
• A parking petition was lodged in October 2025, with 1,828 signatures, calling for Council to retain the current number of free parking spaces in Reibey Street and the CBD.

• Strong interest in Apex Park and laneways becoming better-used, weather-resilient community spaces and key pedestrian links.
• Concerns about maintenance, value for money, and losing parking as part of any upgrades.
• People want these spaces to feel clean, safe and well maintained, with usable shelter and comfortable, accessible seating.
• Common ideas included small-scale play/interactive elements for families, improved laneway connections, and upgrades backed by clear ongoing maintenance commitments and long-term value for ratepayers.

• People want a more social and attractive Reibey Street, but only if it suits Ulverstone’s climate, older population, and the need for practical access and parking.
• Strong support for weather protection (shelter) and comfortable, inclusive seating (with backs/armrests and accessible layouts).
• Some see outdoor dining and events as a way to bring visitors, create jobs and boost trade, while others prefer targeted events (like night markets) and support for existing traders over permanent street dining.

Council has carefully reviewed the feedback from the Reibey Street consultation and will now update the concept designs to better reflect what the community told us matters most.

Over the coming months, the project team will refine the draft layouts, look closely at the areas that raised the most concern, and look at options that improve how the street works for shoppers, traders and visitors.

To find out more about next steps and how your feedback has been heard, download the Community Engagement Report:

To stay updated on the Reibey Street Revitalisation project, follow this project page for the latest documents, timelines and project updates.

Reibey Street traders and property owners will continue to receive direct updates, and when the revised draft concept designs are ready, Council will invite the community to review them as part of Stage 2 engagement before any final decisions are made.

Stay in the loop and report local issues. Download our Antenno app: https://onelink.to/nke9tf

Reibey Street is Central Coast’s primary retail and commercial precinct and an important contributor to the local economy.

Council wants to reinvigorate this area by delivering infrastructure that supports economic growth. We want to support local business by:

• Keeping Ulverstone’s free parking advantage, while improving accessibility and safety.
• Lifting the look and feel of the main street.
• Encouraging more foot traffic, longer visits, and stronger evening trade.

Project Background

This project has been informed by community surveys conducted in 2019 and 2020, and the recently completed Retail and Activity Centre Study that was prepared as part of Our Homes - Our Future master planning initiative.

In 2019–2020, Council partnered with Placescore to gather community insights on how these spaces were being used and what mattered most to people. Surveys were conducted online and face-to-face in Reibey Street with over 600 community members taking part. This work resulted in the Placescore Town Centre Community Insights Report (February 2020).

Feedback indicated the following key areas are most important to our community:

• Clean and well-maintained spaces: Cleanliness and upkeep of public areas rank as the most important attributes.
• Connection with nature and heritage: People value natural features, vegetation, views, and heritage buildings.
• Safe, accessible, and convenient: Ease of walking, parking, and feeling safe for all ages and genders is essential.
• Choice of things to do: Residents want spaces that allow for outdoor dining, events, and evening activities.

The findings were presented to Council and local traders in March 2020. Further Councillor workshops were held in 2023 to refine the design brief, setting out clear priorities for the future upgrade.

Key priorities included: Attractive and durable concrete paths, landscaping and vegetation, public art, and strong links to the wharf. As well as parking, bike lanes, parklets, water features, outdoor trading, recreational meeting spaces, event infrastructure, accessibility.