Adventure tourism, public art and new cafes proposed for Castle Hill
Date published: 10 December 2018
Castle Hill could soon have permanent zip lines, a new walkway connected to the CBD, cafes, a projection light show and a summit green.
The proposals put forward in the Castle Hill Concept Plan – a key Townsville 2020 Masterplan project – aim to enhance one of Townsville’s most loved public spaces.
Townsville City Council engaged an expert project team – including Counterpoint Architecture and Milford Planning – to jointly create the Castle Hill Concept Plan.
The Concept Plan aims to make Castle Hill more entertaining for locals – particularly millennials – and offer more commercial opportunities such as cafes or even a dedicated location for food trucks.
Mayor Jenny Hill said the Townsville 2020 Masterplan was about creating world-class experiences for locals and visitors.
“Castle Hill is synonymous with Townsville and we want to make it even better for everyone,” Cr Hill said.
“We need to make the most of our city’s natural assets and there’s nowhere more iconic than Castle Hill.
“The Townsville 2020 Masterplan provides a clear vision for our city and Council is committed to enhancing Castle Hill for both locals and visitors.”
Cr Hill said the Concept Plan had many exciting ideas about how to make the Hill even more special.
“I’m incredibly excited by plans to use Castle Hill’s natural landscape as a canvas for light art shows similar to what’s done in Sydney with the Vivid Festival or in Alice Springs through the Parrtjima Festival,” Cr Hill said.
“There will also be a huge amount of interest in getting permanent zip lines on the Hill and we will be exploring other adventure tourism opportunities.”
Deputy Mayor and Planning and Development Chair Cr Les Walker said the Concept Plan takes into account all aspects of Castle Hill and has examined what could be done to enhance one of the city’s most loved public spaces.
“There’s a range of ideas ranging from a zip line to cafes and, importantly, a new pedestrian connection in to the heart of the CBD,” Cr Walker said.
“Council wants to create more opportunities for local businesses and that’s why we are examining adventure tourism and hospitality options for the Hill.
“Thousands of people flock to Castle Hill every day so we are hoping to use its popularity to provide a boost for the economy and to create jobs for locals.”
Local Councillor Ann-Maree Greaney said she hoped everyone would have their say about what they want to see on Castle Hill.
“Everybody has a special connection with Castle Hill and Council understands how well loved it is by the whole community,” Cr Greaney said.
“A community engagement process will start now and we want to get feedback from as many people as possible.
“There are a lot of exciting ideas included in the Castle Hill Concept Plan and I hope the community lets Council know exactly what they want to see happen.”
The Castle Hill Concept Plan is now out for public consultation until the end of January.
