Renmark Paringa Council has resolved for the site at 180 Murray Avenue to be converted to open space to link in with the Taylor Riverfront Precinct.

Renmark Paringa Council engaged urban designers Jensen Plus to design a concept for the redevelopment of land at 180 Murray Avenue into public open space which went to tender in September 2023 after the final design concept from Jenson Plus was endorsed by Council.

The demolition aspect of this project was undertaken by Royal Park Salvage in August 2023.

Following the tender process award winning landscapers LCS Landscapes were awarded the works of both 180 Murray Avenue Open Space Redevelopment and Paringa Town Centre Revitalisation. LCS have previously worked with Council on the Taylor Riverfront Precinct. They won the ALIA SA Landscape Architecture Awards, SA Regional Achievement Parks and Open Space for the project. Council are excited to see the neighboring work of 180 Murray Avenue Open Space Development to come together in 2024.

Due to the current economic climate with inflation and construction cost pressures at such a high level, Council have acknowledged the need for a more economical approach. As a result, the concept design has been carefully adapted to ensure cost effectiveness with a focus on the community’s original intent of the site, being activated open space, irrigated turf, views of the river and a link to the Taylor Riverfront Precinct.

Whilst there was considerable support for the inclusion of a toilet, the construction ($230,000) and ongoing maintenance costs ($20,000/year) of this inclusion exceeded the project budget, and it is not considered feasible to construct at this time. Provisions however will be included to allow a toilet to be constructed in the future.

To increase the accessibility of the existing public toilet which is adjacent to the site along Renmark Avenue, a raised pedestrian crossing on Murray Avenue will be constructed which will increase safety, naturally calm traffic, and give pedestrians priority. Council hopes that the implementation of this feature will create an environment that caters to the needs of the community whilst promoting a safer and more inclusive community space.