$400,000 is now the overall estimated cost of stage one of the CBD Enhancement Works, which will see Auburn St transformed into a greener, cleaner, pedestrian-targeted streetscape.

Council committed to the project during Tuesday night’s meeting.

“That’s a lot of coin for just one stage…” Councillor Alf Walker observed during the meeting, questioning the sudden rise from a reported $300,000 to $400,000, to come out of the unrestricted general funds reserve.

The increase comes following further investigation into the cost of paving, General Manager Warwick Bennett explained.

“When we originally put this to the CBD working party, we weren’t intending that we would do the paving immediately – they asked that we do it and so we put rough costings together, but as we further examined it we realised it would be greater than expected,” Mr Bennett told the Post.

Further adding to costs was the addition of after-hours work.

Mr Bennett hopes to ensure majority of the construction work will be completed between 5pm and 1am, to minimise disturbance to local retailers.

He told the Post work will begin on the project in the near future, with hopes for completion by December 1.

“We probably won’t get all paving done before Christmas but will have a good portion of it done.

Certainly all trees will be planted and all furniture in place. We want to take advantage of the good spring growth period,” Mr Bennett said.

Stage One will focus on Auburn St from Montague St to Clifford St.

Trees will be planted, new pedestrian pavement installed, street furniture placed and new recycling waste bins added. Existing garden beds will be renewed and new raised ones also developed.

Median strip sandstone garden pots, different to those currently in place outside Centro Mall, will be installed as part of the project also.

Six car parks will be sacrificed for the changes, although with the recent demolition of a toilet block in Cartwright Place 16 additional carparks have been created, Mr Bennett reported.

Next financial year Council will discuss upgrades to the remainder of Auburn St from Clifford St to Bradley St and following that Montague St to Clinton St.

It is estimated each stage will carry the same rough costs, with the total projected cost to be some $1.2 million.

Adequate budget provisions have been made for the regular cleaning and maintenance of the new plantings and infrastructure.

A MOTION put forward by Margaret O’Neill to defer Council commitment to the CBD project was overturned following discussion about councillor involvement in the process.

Cr O’Neill’s main point of concern was that only two council representatives stood on the CBD Working Party.

While the work was much-needed it would only be fair if the remaining seven also had input, she believed.

“I’m 100 per cent behind it but I think the rest of us need to have a say, maybe look for alternate funding options and prioritise things.”

Despite backing from fellow Councillors Sam Rowland and Robin Saville, the motion was eventually overturned.

Working Party member Bob Kirk and fellow councillor Andrew Banfield pointed out there had been ample opportunity for councillors to be involved in the process.

“Given the momentum the proposal now has I would rather see us provide commitment to the proposal in concept and the detail we can iron out. Let’s not delay the idea,” Cr Kirk said.

“This has been on the table since I was first elected. It’s time to man up and make a decision for the community,” Cr Banfield added.