2005 – Community Partnership and the Delivery of a Major Legacy

Stuart Macnish, Nikki Bennett

The $70 million upgrade of Wivenhoe Dam is being undertaken by the Wivenhoe Alliance, in close
proximity to the town of Fernvale, Queensland. As part of the Alliance’s commitment to delivering positive outcomes for the local community, it was decided part way through the project, to commit to delivering a ‘signature’ community legacy project. The team brainstormed a range of options and a decision-making matrix was used to choose the project that would best meet its objectives.

A partnership has been formed between the Alliance, Esk Shire Council and SEQWater to deliver a
master-planned project which incorporates elements such as a community information/service facility,upgrade of Fernvale Memorial Park, streetscape enhancements, improved parking and installation of shelters along the adjacent rail trail. These major partners, together with representatives of the local community, constitute the steering committee, which oversees planning of the project.

The project aims to encourage visitors to the area, to provide improved amenity and sense of pride for the region, and in turn encourage strong relationships for SEQWater in the area in which they operate. Due to tight time frames the partnership is managing the fund raising activities, community consultation and design processes in parallel.

This paper discusses the process by which the Alliance was able to deliver this remarkable project, within a short timeframe. It also discusses how the local community has been involved and the benefits, which have resulted.

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