Project update: August, 2025
Strategy endorsed to revitalise City Centre and Waterfront
Council has officially endorsed a strategy to revitalise the Mackay City Centre and Waterfront.
The Mackay Waterfront Place Strategy is a visionary roadmap designed to transform the City Centre and Riverside precincts into vibrant, inclusive and thriving destinations.
The strategy outlines some quick win actions like activating or screening empty commercial tenancies, adding more shade, cleaning up the Gregory Street bus shelter and improving the appeal of the Riverside Precinct.
It also identifies some vital long-term actions like supporting the growth of a vibrant City Centre evening economy and enhancing the Wood Street and Victoria Street roundabout area as the city’s central landmark.
Mayor Greg Williamson said the strategy was shaped by extensive community and stakeholder engagement and was developed in collaboration with external consultants Fourfold Studios and POMO.
“We were blown away by the level of positive energy surrounding this project,” Mayor Williamson said.
“Council conducts community engagement on all of our strategies, but this was different,” he said.
“Stakeholders didn’t just want to ‘have their say’ – they wanted to get involved.
“Residents were brimming with ideas, creativity and energy to drive positive change.
“When the team presented the draft strategy at the Spark Wood Street event – which was an event designed to showcase what simple public realm activations could achieve – the positivity and collaboration from everyone was tremendous.”
Mayor Williamson said this strategy built on the foundations of the Mackay Waterfront Priority Development Area (PDA) Development Scheme and the Mackay Waterfront Master Plan.
“It provides a roadmap for the Mackay Waterfront’s various stakeholders – council, business owners, developers, community organisations and residents – to work together towards a shared vision for a revitalised City Centre and Mackay Waterfront,” he said.
“It’s about unlocking the potential of those areas by creating places people connect to and love.”
Director Planning, Growth and Sustainability Aletta Nugent said the strategy focused on actions that had been crafted with extensive public engagement.
“These actions came from the community and were even ranked by the community in order of preference and priority,” Ms Nugent said.
Some of the highlighted actions include:
- Connecting the City Centre to the Riverside via Wood Street with creative lighting, signage, façade improvements and public art.
- Supporting those sleeping rough and improving perceptions of public safety.
- Improving RV access to the City Centre.
- Support local businesses to bring the blue water river to life.
- Encourage the private sector to be a part of placemaking.
- Celebrate Mackay’s multicultural heritage by using public space to tell stories.
- Increase representation of First Nations and Australian South Sea Islander communities in the public realm.
The Mackay Waterfront Place Strategy was developed with the support of the Queensland Gov-ernment in association with Mackay Regional Council.
Visit mackaywaterfront.com.au and subscribe to the Mackay City and Waterfront eNewsletter to stay informed on this exciting project and view the master plan.
