'Most stressful it's ever been': Woombye Streetscape impacting trade

An artist’s impression of the finshined project.

Woombye’s new-look Blackall Street will be open for business by June 28. And it can’t come too soon for the Blackall Street businesses struggling with reduced trade over the past seven months due to parking, traffic, and visitor disruptions.

Council’s Blackall Street Streetscape Project has stifled patronage of the bustling town, according to one business owner.

She said the roadworks, which began October last year, had been “extremely detrimental” to her and other businesses. 

“The number of customers has severely dropped and so our takings have dropped,” she said. “It’s been an extremely stressful time, coupled with inflation rising and our mortgages rising. We only hope that our customers will return once this is all over.

“I’ve had my business in Woombye for over 11 years and this is the hardest and most stressful it’s ever been and we need people to come back to town. All the businesses are feeling the effects.”

The opening of a Heritage Trail, associated with the Streetscape Project, will take place on  June 28 with construction work due to be completed before that date.

“My suggestion is that on the completion of the streetscape, once all the roadworks etc are gone, maybe the Woombye Business and Community Association could do a big push and spread the word that ‘Woombye is open for business again and businesses need your support’,” said the businessperson. 

Council’s Placemaking Team consulted  with the Woombye community, starting in November 2020, regarding the makeover.  

Shady street trees and garden beds have been planted to cool the footpath, beautify and extend the green, leafy look and feel, to the west of the town centre.