Manly Harbour Village Precinct Project

Brisbane City Council has completed the $890,000 improvement project to revitalise the foreshore plaza adjacent to Cambridge Parade and Royal Esplanade intersection.

Council worked with the local community to revitalise the Manly Harbour neighbourhood precinct, delivering an attractive, comfortable and connected foreshore plaza for locals and visitors to use and enjoy.

This is part of the Village Precinct Projects (VPP) program and Council's commitment to create a city of vibrant neighbourhoods.

Community engagement

The local community was consulted and involved at the initiation phase of the project in mid-2020 and again at the planning phase by providing feedback on the concept design proposal in early 2021.

The majority of feedback supported creating a new foreshore plaza that improved amenity, facilitates the use of plaza for festivals and events, and celebrated local character and sense of place by installing creative projection artworks.

Delivered improvements

Improvements include:

sections of new pavement and improved footpaths along the waterfront
new foreshore plaza furniture including site-specific-designed concrete seats, drinking fountain, bike racks and removable bollards
refresh of the existing plantings and new trees to provide shade
creative lighting projections at the new foreshore plaza designed by local artist Delvene Cockatoo-Collins to promote night-time experiences and local identity
removal of ageing structures to declutter the plaza.

New wayfinding signage in the new foreshore plaza, Manly Village precinct and railway station will be delivered in early 2022.

Creative lighting projection

The creative lighting projection at the new foreshore plaza provides night-time experiences, enhances the centre's identity and celebrates local character.

Delvene Cockatoo-Collins designed the From the Hills to the Bay (2021) projection artworks that reflect the distinctive local character of Manly, incorporating the natural history of the area and shared community stories collected at the artist’s community twine making workshop.

Light Up Manly event

To celebrate the completion of the Manly Harbour Village Precinct Project, Council held the Light Up Manly event at the newly upgraded foreshore plaza. There was music, community lantern displays and a nautically themed large lantern displays along the foreshore.

The event also included a Welcome to Country ceremony and a chance to meet the project artist Delvene Cockatoo-Collins who designed the projection artworks specifically for the upgraded foreshore plaza.