The Bairnsdale CBD needs to be cleaned up, made safe, and pedestrian-friendly for shoppers, so businesses can thrive as a Main Street shopping precinct.
That’s according to a chorus of business owners and Trevor Hancock, president of the Bairnsdale Chamber of Commerce, who said the future lies in immediately opening up the untidy Nicholson Street Mall to a mix of slow-moving traffic and pedestrian walkways. In 2022, East Gippsland Shire Council heard from eminent urban designer Steve Thorne, who highlighted traffic flow issues and parking losses in the Bairnsdale CBD, as well as the fact that the current roundabouts were not pedestrian-friendly.
He also flagged problems now evident in the mall, noting why such pedestrian-only areas are being removed worldwide: they had become gathering places for undesirable groups. These 2022 observations resonate strongly with mall traders today.
Local CBD traders are also calling on East Gippsland Shire Council to remove the confusing pedestrian street signs at the roundabouts at Macleod and Pyke streets, Nicholson and Service streets, and Nicholson and Bailey streets. They want clearly marked pedestrian right-of-way crossings at these intersections to make the city more shopper-friendly. Pedestrian crossings at roundabouts are common across Melbourne, and according to the Chamber
President, the Shire has a responsibility to support CBD traders by making the area as welcoming and safe for shoppers as possible, particularly in challenging economic times.
