Yass Valley Business Chamber

Yass Main Street Community Workshop

Action Plan

AUGUST 2016
CONTENTS

FOREWORD 4

1. INTRODUCTION 5

1.1 The Main Street 5

1.2 Workshop Attendees 6

1.2.1 The Participants 6
1.2.2 The Facilitators 7

2. THE PRESENT 8

2.1 Consultation by the Yass Valley Council 8

2.1.1 Yass Valley 2030 Community Strategic Plan 8
2.1.2 Yass Main Street Study 8

2.2 What do you like most about the Main Street? 9

2.3 What do you think needs most improvement in the main street? 10

3. THE FUTURE 12

3.1 Key ideas for change 12

3.2 People and Community an inclusive place 13

3.3 Transport and Connectivity 14

3.4 Business 15

3.5 Tourism and Events 16

3.6 Look and Feel of the Main Street and Town Centre 18

4. PRIORITIES FOR ACTION 20

4.1 Community Action Plan 20

5. WHAT NEXT? 22

5.1 Get Involved 22

APPENDIX 01 COMUR STREET PEDESTRIAN ACCESS 23

APPENDIX 02 USE OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS 25

APPENDIX 03 APPROACHES TO TRANSFORMING URBAN PLACES 26

Figures
Figure 1 Yass Main Street 5
Figure 2 Local Centre and Recreational Zones shown in the 2013 LEP 6
Figure 3 Key ideas for improving Yass Main Street 12
Figure 4 Liberty Theatre and the Commercial Hotel await renewal 16
Figure 5 Illustrative mock-up of a highway sign 17
Figure 6 Boorowa main street and Bunbury WA main street 18
Figure 7 Location for a temporary median (yellow) from Rossi Street to Meehan Street 23
Figure 8 Location for a temporary median (yellow) from Meehan Street to Lead Street 24

Tables
Table 1 Things most liked about the Main Street 9
Table 2 Comur Street Improvement Opportunities 10
Table 3 Additional Improvements identified by workshop participants 11
Table 4 The Action Plan 20
Table 5 Revisions 28
 FOREWORD
The Yass Valley Business Chamber is a voluntary organisation made up of local business people committed to
the community in which they live and work. Chamber members are very proud and positive about the towns
and villages that make up the Yass Valley, and are full of ideas about how to make their community even
better.
One particular area of focus for a number of Chamber members is Comur St, the Main St or CBD of the town of
Yass. Many people remember positively the consultation undertaken by Yass Valley Council for the 2014 Main
Street Study, and are keen to do what they can to support positive changes in and around Comur St as the
main commercial and retail precinct in the Yass Valley, and a regular stop for travellers on the Hume Highway.
The Yass Valley Business Chamber has therefore initiated a process to see ideas about making the Main Street
even more lively and productive for business and for the whole community become a reality. In initiating this
process, the Chamber respects the role of the Council and appreciates the previous work undertaken by
Council around the Main Street. At the same time, the Chamber understands that the Council has many
demands and expectations placed on it and that the Chamber could help by getting the ball rolling with its
members and the community without putting pressure on the Council to do everything. I would like to
acknowledge the Councils understanding of the Chambers approach, which we see as a good model for
community groups and Council to work together, and we look forward to working closely with Council as we
proceed.
The Chambers process so far a workshop involving a focus group of interested business and community
members has been very positive and I would like to thank the participants who have given their time and
ideas and energy to this process, and particularly to acknowledge Harvey Walsh who has played a critical
leadership role in making it all happen. I would also like to acknowledge that through our Chamber
membership we have been given financial support and access to a team of highly-skilled professionals in
architecture, landscape architecture, traffic and town planning to assist the process. This combination of
community passion and professional expertise has led to an incredibly well-facilitated workshop and a high
quality Action Plan prepared by Sheila Hughes and her team that provides a platform for wider community
engagement that we are confident will lead to positive changes in the Main Street.
The Yass Valley Business Chamber looks forward to continuing to work together with the local community and
the Yass Valley Council to see this wonderful asset, the Main Street of Yass, become an even more dynamic
place that brings the community together.

Michael Pilbrow

President, Yass Valley Business Chamber

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 4

 1. INTRODUCTION
The Yass Main Street Community Workshop and Action Plan is an initiative of the Yass Valley Business Chamber
(the Chamber).
In 2014 Yass Valley Council (the Council) prepared a Yass Main Street Strategy. Based on a program of
community consultation a set of actions and recommendations to improve Comur Street were identified.
The purpose of the community workshop commissioned by the Chamber was to continue the community
discussion on the future character and development of Yass main street, Comur Street. The objective was to
develop and document a shared vision for Comur Street and identify projects that would act as catalysts for
positive change to attract investment and involvement from both the community and business.
The outcomes from the Yass Main Street Strategy consultation and the knowledge and experience of
community representatives participating in the workshop were used to prepare an action plan during the
workshop.
The Chamber seeks, through this workshop and action plan, to commence a process of advocacy and
engagement to realise potential synergies between projects and initiatives which may be led by Council,
business groups or the community that support sustainable development of Yass as a regional town and create
an attractive and successful main street.

1.1 The Main Street

The Yass Main Street is Comur Street from the Yass River to Brown Street as defined in the Yass Main Street
Study and this is the public space that was considered in the workshop. The extent of the Main Street is
highlighted in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Yass Main Street

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 5

 Although the area between Lead and Rossi Streets is the focus of activity now, it was important to consider
Comur Street from the southern entry point at Brown Street near Tootsie to the northern entry point at the
bridge across the Yass River. This extended area (shown in Figure 2) is zoned B2 in the 2013 Local Environment
Plan as the future location for land uses to:
Provide a range of retail, business, entertainment and community uses that serve the needs of people who
live in, work in and visit the local area,
Encourage employment opportunities in accessible locations, and
Maximise public transport patronage and encourage walking and cycling.

Figure 2 Local Centre and Recreational Zones shown in the 2013 LEP
The buildings on the street are its walls and it is the activity within them that enlivens the street. The workshop
considered the buildings in this context.

1.2 Workshop Attendees

1.2.1 The Participants

The workshop participants were selected by the Chamber project steering committee. Individuals were chosen
for their links to Comur Street and / or community and business groups active in the community.
They were, in alphabetical order:
Caleb Bright Yass Valley Business Chamber member and owner of Think Technology, Comur St
Andrew Curlewis Yass Valley Business Chamber member, owner of Yass Valley Property and Comur Street
landlord
Connie Elliott organiser of childrens activities at Yass Library and Bowning community leader
David Maxwell Yass Valley Business Chamber member and Managing Director, Riverview Group

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 6

 Erica Miller owner of Erica Miller Design (with experience working with branding/strategies for other
country towns, eg Millthorpe, NSW)
Laurie Nathan aged care resident and Comur Street user
Cecilia Pavlovic local singer and indigenous community leader
Sophie Peer Yass Valley Business Chamber member, owner of Jucie Lucie and partner in Trader & Co (a
social change collective opening soon in Meehan St with coffee/juice/food/shared working space under
one roof)
Michael Pilbrow President, Yass Valley Business Chamber with business office on Comur St
Brooke Sainsbury Yass Valley Business Chamber member and owner of Clementine Restaurant, Meehan St
Touie Smith Vice President, Yass Valley Business Chamber with business office just off Comur Street
Harvey Walsh Yass Valley Business Chamber member, owner of Yazzbar and Comur Street landlord

1.2.2 The Facilitators

The Yass Valley Business Chamber engaged consultants to facilitate the workshop and provide technical
information to the participants.
The consultant team was;
Sheila Hughes, LociGenesis Architect and lead facilitator
Jennie Curtis, Fresh Landscape Design Landscape architect and support facilitator
Rhys Davies, ISG Transport Planner and support facilitator
Eric Martin, Eric Martin and Associates Architect, Heritage Architect and Access Consultant
In addition Tony Carey from Tony Carey Consulting, a town planner, attended to contribute commentary based
on his extensive experience in development of communities and urban areas.

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 7

 2. THE PRESENT

2.1 Consultation by the Yass Valley Council

The future of Comur Street has been considered extensively by the Yass Valley Council over the last 10 years.

2.1.1 Yass Valley 2030 Community Strategic Plan

The Yass Valley 2030 Community Strategic Plan clearly identifies Comur Street as a place that needs further
investment to act as the main street and primary community civic space for Yass.
The following comments were recorded in that document as community perceptions about rural and urban
development
Our town / village centres are friendly and welcoming with wide streets and no high rise development
Our local history and heritage is very evident through the preservation of many old commercial and
residential buildings
In the Local Infrastructure and Services section of the Yass Valley 2030 report the following goal for the Yass
town centre was identified.

Long Term Goal Strategy to achieve goals Performance Target

6.8 Our main streets are
attractive, clean and pedestrian
friendly and have a range of
outdoor dining options to choose
from
6.8.1 Develop a main street Our main streets are attractive
strategy for Yass town centre to vibrant and accessible with a
make it more attractive and diverse range of outdoor dining
pedestrian friendly options
6.8.2 Encourage local restaurants
and cafes to have provision for
outdoor dining facilities and
extended trading hours

2.1.2 Yass Main Street Study

A study of the main street of Yass was undertaken in 2014 and a report, the Yass Main Street Study, was
prepared.
Community consultation for the study undertaken by the Council involved a wide range of community
members and provided useful information for the workshop. The outcomes of the Council consultation process
were reviewed by the workshop participants to confirm which items were supported and their importance
now.
Two key questions that were asked for the Yass Main Street Study were:
What do you like most about the main street?
What do you think needs the most improvement in the main street?

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 8

 2.2 What do you like most about the Main Street?
Table 1 shows the features of Comur Street previously identified as most liked that were supported. The
order in the table reflects the relative importance of the feature as voted on by workshop participants. The list
was seen as comprehensive and no additional items were suggested.

Table 1 Things most liked about the Main Street

Features people like

The friendly local feel

The heritage buildings

The country town feel of the town centre

The convenient, compact centre with varied shops and services

The variety of specialist and general shops

Proximity to parks

Seasonal street decorations

Artwork

Street trees

Planted gardens

Outdoor dining

Heritage lamp posts

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 9

 2.3 What do you think needs most improvement in the main
street?
The participants at the workshop considered the suggested improvements to Comur Street raised during
earlier community consultations and through a voting process identified those which were still regarded as
relevant. These issues are listed in Table 2 in their order of importance as assessed by the workshop
participants.

Table 2 Comur Street Improvement Opportunities

Areas for improvement of Comur Street endorsed in the workshop

Commercial Hotel in its current state detracts from the street

Buildings needing refurbishment and maintenance

Inadequate pedestrian crossings

The number of events and festivals

Too many people parking all day in the main street

Unoccupied buildings and shop fronts

Shopping hours could be extended

Inconsistent quality of presentation

Problems with access to buildings by people with disabilities

Lack of clear signage and communication

Additional or improved public toilets

More trees

More shelter from awnings and trees

Improved access to nearby parks

Lack of suitably placed seats

The participants were asked if there were other matters that should be considered for improvement in Comur
Street and the issues listed in Table 3 were raised.

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 10

 Table 3 Additional Improvements identified by workshop participants

Fibre optic cable to businesses and improved data connectivity

Representation of youth interests

Space to support social interaction to build a sense of community

Improved communication: information on heritage buildings, notice boards for community events, and
more signage

Representation of the Indigenous community in the main street

Investment in existing buildings

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 11

 3. THE FUTURE
In deciding what to do to change the street now it is important to imagine what you want it to become.
Participants were asked to imagine what Comur Street could be like in the future. They were asked to think
about how Comur Street could be transformed by responding to the following question.
In 2026, when you are walking along a renewed Comur Street, what would be different, who would be there
and what would they be doing?
Many ideas were discussed and are presented below under thematic headings.

3.1 Key ideas for change

Figure 3 shows key ideas that emerged through group discussions.

Figure 3 Key ideas for improving Yass Main Street

1 Relocated Civic Centre opening onto, and increasing the use of, the riverside park
2 Varied specialist shops and services with active frontages with improved access across the road
and linked to the green spaces
3 Cultural/ gastronomic / accommodation precinct focussed on the Liberty Theatre continuing the
active frontages, cross street access and links to the parks and creek
4 Green space linking the main street to the river along a rehabilitated Chinamans Creek
5 and 6 Commercial Hotel and Liberty Theatre refurbished as revitalised landmark features on the main
street
7 Council office site redevelopment as a mixed use precinct including reusing Crago Mill and
providing new tenancies on the street for specialist shops and businesses

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 12

 3.2 People and Community an inclusive place
Vision
Yass is a thriving town with many more people than in 2026. Comur Street still has a friendly and warm
country town atmosphere. Walking along the street on a busy Sunday afternoon there are people of all ages
and backgrounds who have come to the street to meet, shop and be part of community life. They have come to
one of the annual events developed and marketed by the community working with the support of the local
council. These events, activities and destinations on Comur Street bring people to Yass and make it viable for
shops and businesses to open.

Comments related to this change were:

Places for people to go with young children, and to wait while children are doing activities, including a baby
change area
Memorial Hall can take on some Town Hall functions, becoming a place where everyone comes to talk, a
place that is warm and welcoming
Decision making should involve a self-directed community with an inclusive process for talking, creating and
maintaining new activities, including marketing, of Yass
There should be lots more people coming to the street which is friendly for everyone with spaces that all
sorts of people feel comfortable to be in, a place where people are not just consumers
Increased density of housing should be available close to the main street so more people can walk or ride
into town but the parks should all be protected from development
There should be more events including ones reflecting the local Indigenous culture and the history and
heritage of Yass
The street needs to provide for children and teenagers through school holiday programs and entertainment
in local venues and businesses and on the street
Celebrate the people of Yass who they are and were
Different people use the Memorial Hall for lunch time talks and meetings
Some young people travel to Canberra for schooling so their associated activity focus is in Canberra
activity to stimulate their, and locally schooled students, retention in Yass is important
Recognition of local identities
Public facilities are family friendly, e.g. develop library (like Gungahlin Library) as community hub including
indoor/outdoor Wi-Fi

Possible actions / projects proposed related to this change:

Test the community use of the Memorial Hall by setting up a temporary, warm drop-in venue for people to
use to relax and groups to hold talks

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 13

 3.3 Transport and Connectivity
Vision
People are able to cross the Comur Street easily in many places and move readily between businesses and
destinations on both sides of the street. The long stay parking behind the shops and nearby parks is shady and
pleasant and connected to the main street by several attractive laneways and footpaths. While people on a
mission will park in the short stay places on the street others will stay longer and enjoy the surroundings.
People cycling into town on the cycle paths will be able to park at several places along the street.

Comments related to this change were:

Less parking in Comur Street with more pedestrian walking areas
Less traffic in the main street to allow easier crossing is desirable it would be good to know the origin and
destination of the traffic and whether more priority could be given to pedestrians
There could be shared pedestrian zones on the street to allow greater flows across the street
Roundabouts are a problem for pedestrians who find it easy to travel along the street but not easy to cross
the street
People might use the car parks [behind the main street] more if there are better connections to the main
street and there was more shade from trees and / or awnings
Multi storey car parking would mean less land could be used to provide more off street parking behind the
shops
One way to increase pedestrian access across the street would be by changing the roundabouts to traffic
lights and synchronising the lights for traffic flow
Crossing may be easier and safer if, in a number of locations, the distance was reduced by replacing some
parking spaces with pavement and planting on either side of the street and providing a median island for
pedestrians
Get the car parking off Comur Street self drive cars will park themselves in parking areas further back,
another way of getting along street will be needed if it expands (e.g. shared bicycles)
Time-based fees for main street parking starting with a short period without charge
Create a bike path and access along the along the old railway line
Links parks into the pedestrian and cycle path networks

Possible actions / projects proposed related to this change:

Provide more laneways to the off-street carparks and parks
Make the existing laneways more attractive to pedestrians and improve the signage
Temporarily close the main street for events
Establish a bike share program
Undertake a temporary project to improve pedestrian crossing conditions on Comur Street and find out how
the street could work
Traders and businesses work together to keep on-street car parking clear for short-stay parking
Create a bike path along the old railway line into town
Improve signage for parking locations and choices

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 14

 3.4 Business
Vision
Comur Street is busy place providing the full range of shopping and services needed by the Yass community.
More people work in Yass as entrepreneurs have moved to the town to open innovative new businesses and
everyone, including commuters to Canberra, stop on their way home to relax and shop. Local youngsters see a
future in Yass as they gain experience working with local businesses and find their place in a town which draws
in people from around the region and Canberra.

Comments related to this change were:

Teenagers need shops selling clothes and other stuff that teenagers like and dont find in Target, otherwise
they have to go to Canberra
Need to develop Yass as regional centre servicing surrounding villages with no need to go to Canberra
Develop own identity which could include specialty shops and local food/artisans
More retail shopping done locally
Everything would open longer
Open on Sundays
Link businesses to parks and activities in park caf, exercise network
More places needed for eating outdoors
More local employment opportunities by supporting the growth of business to sustain wages and rents
shaped by competition with Canberra
There needs to be more weekend activity and nightlife to attract the local community and regional visitors
More businesses bringing people from Canberra
Large box stores locate in the local centre supporting the specialist and small businesses by bringing more
people to the town to shop
Comur Street should retain its predominantly smaller businesses to keep its current character
With duplication of Barton Highway it will be easier to travel between Canberra and Yass which means it is
easier for people to come from Canberra but also easier to ship kids out to Canberra schools
All traders need to be on board for extended hours to work trial it for limited periods
Council needs to support businesses to deal with approvals issues and reuse of heritage buildings
Pop up opportunities and a farmers market in the main street

Possible actions / projects proposed related to this change:

Trial opening on Sundays by opening one Sunday a month and advertising it as a special retail event
Work with Council to make businesses aware of the incentives and concessions available to support reuse of
the heritage buildings
Identify sources of advocacy and support for businesses seeking clarity about how to develop new
businesses in the heritage buildings

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 15

 3.5 Tourism and Events
Vision
Tourists driving along the highways are drawn to Yass by signage and on line marketing showing the attractions
available in the town and region. Some are coming to feature events at the revitalised Liberty Theatre and
planning to stay in the heart of town in the new visitor accommodation. After eating at local cafs and
browsing the shops, they travel into the surrounding district to sample wines and other local produce.
Canberrans drive out on weekends to go to the local restaurants, bars and destination specialist shops and to
join the locals attending the events and festivals in the annual calendar.

Figure 4 Liberty Theatre and the Commercial Hotel await renewal

Comments related to this change were:

More visitor accommodation in / close to the main street B&B, hotels with a range of prices from cheap to
upmarket
Wine / food regional hub with more visitors attracted from and via Sydney and Canberra
Commercial Hotel redeveloped as 5 star accommodation/gastronomic pub with edible gardens
Visitors come from far and wide to Liberty Theatre to see movies, community arts and performances
Cragos Mill opens as a food and heritage destination
Add new uses such as serviced apartments upstairs in vibrant street with strong sense of unique local
identity
Potential to attract visitors by running sporting events that take advantage of landscape elements e.g. river
and railway corridor

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 16

 Relocate farmers market to the main street
Regular calendar of events and festivals in the main street including seasonal events based on food wine and
arts
Community noticeboards and banners advertising events
On line promotion as marketing changes
Develop the heritage trail with a big maps and more details possibly through a Yass tourist or heritage app
so people can learn the stories of the history and culture of the town
Could explore Yasss heritage as a highway town and celebrate the old petrol stations (Tootsie at one end
and repurposed service station at river end)
Develop the old railway station and working strip for tourism
The area near the river should be used for celebrations
What people know about the town, its heritage and culture,(e.g. Indigenous culture) should have a higher
profile
Develop venue for weddings and functions
Expansive view from the bridge to Yass enhanced with a tourist centre open to the river and park in the
foreground

Possible actions/ projects proposed related to this change:

Install prominent signs on the highways at the junctions with Yass Valley Way advertising the heritage,
shops, cafes and other activities in the town
Develop a Yass app linked to sites on the heritage walk and other features in the town
Trial relocation of the famers market to the main street
Biannual Hume Highway celebration
Develop community support for the revitalisation of the Liberty Theatre

Figure 5 Illustrative mock-up of a highway sign

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 17

 3.6 Look and Feel of the Main Street and Town Centre
Vision
The look and finish of Comur Street shows people care about the town. It is a busy street with shady trees and
verandas protecting pedestrians from the weather. There are places to sit with picnic tables and green spaces
nearby. The old buildings have been rejuvenated and, as new businesses come in, new ones built, with
contemporary detailing and style to complement the old. More people are living on and near Comur Street,
some in apartments upstairs from the shops. Down towards the river the new Civic Centre, the library and the
old Memorial Hall are busy with people coming to events and exhibitions using facilities or just spending time
meeting up in community spaces.

Comments related to this change were:

Relocate Council to river end of Comur Street and create a new civic centre / council building with a tourism
focus and enhance use of green space along river
Development in consultation with the community of a consistent and continuous theme in downtown
Yass in the treatments of footpaths, gardens etc
The empty shops are filled
Active shop/business frontage along whole street including along fronts of supermarkets
Need spaces where new businesses can develop (eg on existing Council office site)
Encourage residential uses upstairs in the main street
Reinstate verandas for shelter and upstairs activity
More greenery, especially trees, in street
Create green spaces, provide safe toilets and make clean drinking water available on street
Restoration of Chinamans Creek and inclusion of native planting
The heritage area, the Paris end, should be reinforced with special paving and street furniture like
Boorowa and Orange

Figure 6 Boorowa main street and Bunbury WA main street

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 18

 Owners levy for upgrade works and promotion of events and activities in Comur Street
Need places to gather on the main street
Provide information about how to find things (what is where)
Clear numbering on buildings would help people to find businesses easily when they come into town
Incentives needed to support upgrade of existing buildings such as increased floor space ratios and heritage
grants, rent / rates rebates
Create places where people can congregate in comfort on the street
Communal edible gardens
Solar panels on roofs

Possible actions / projects proposed related to this change:

Creation of a temporary gathering space with planting and tables and chairs for people to congregate
Develop new signage for the town to provide clear direction to parking, businesses, venues and parks along
with connecting pathways
Building numbering project
Extend tree planting on the main street as part of a developed landscape theme for the town
Restoration of Chinamans Creek

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 19

 4. PRIORITIES FOR ACTION
After considering the present character and thinking about the future desired character of Comur Street
workshop participants were asked
If you could do one thing to improve Comur Street what would be your priority?
The priority areas for action identified were:
Enabling people to move safely and easily across and around the main street and linking nearby areas to the
main street
Solutions to drive investment on the main street including action on the Liberty Theatre
Revamping the Memorial Hall as a key community space
Optic fibre to premises connectivity for businesses
Creek recovery and revitalisation and the greening of the main street
Filling up empty shops in the main street including temporary use as business incubators, pop up shops etc.

4.1 Community Action Plan

For the priorities, the workshop participants brainstormed ideas for some actions that could be commenced
immediately as a way of demonstrating what change could mean and gathering support and interest from the
Yass community and Yass Valley Council.

Table 4 The Action Plan

Priority Proposed Action

Easy, safe movement Closing the street for a Christmas shopping night

Easy, safe movement Closing the street for a New Years Eve Street Party

Easy, safe movement Temporary crossing points created during Turning Wave Music
Festival

Easy, safe movement Move the Farmers Market into the main street and test temporarily
closing off one block to traffic to create a pedestrianised space

Ease, safe movement Create temporary changes to the road to enable the community to
test impacts on parking, traffic and the difference easier access
across the street would make

Investment on main street Contact the Council regarding the difficulty in using existing buildings
which is blocking investment in the main street and seek support in
identifying solutions, including information through pre-lodgement
meetings

Investment on main street Set up an information session (at the Memorial Hall) for current and
potential business operators to identify incentives and grants
available through the Council and State Government to address issues
around fire, heritage and access

Investment on main street Yass Valley Business Chamber to sponsor an advocacy service
providing advice to investors seeking to adapt heritage buildings

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 20

 Priority Proposed Action

Investment on main street Yass Valley Business Chamber to lead investigations into potential
community involvement in refurbishment and reactivation of the
Liberty Theatre

Revamping the Memorial Hall Discuss with the Council how to make this a more usable space

Revamping the Memorial Hall A short term event creating a welcoming space with couches, baby
change facilities and heating, and providing activities and
presentations on topics of interest

Fibre connectivity Explore options for providing temporary public Wi-Fi to the street
using business systems

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 21

 5. WHAT NEXT?

At the end of every workshop the key question is whats next?

As stated at the beginning of this report the community workshop is the first step in the Chambers advocacy
for and involvement in the process of actively transforming Comur Street.
This report is intended as a catalyst for ongoing involvement by the Yass Valley Business Chamber and the
community in the evolution of Comur Street to make it more attractive as the main civic space in Yass and the
centre of a thriving and sustainable country town. As set out in the Councils plans, Comur Street is intended to
be the place where the community gathers for events and festivals as well as going there to do their shopping
and socialising. Transforming Comur Street is a community project for everyone in Yass and the region to get
involved in, not just the Yass Valley Council and the Yass Valley Business Chamber.

5.1 Get Involved

As a first step working groups have been set up to consider implementation of three initiatives:
Enhanced access to community space in the Memorial Hall,
Improved street crossings for pedestrians, and
Providing WiFi / internet connectivity to the Main Street
Some of these projects may involve short term initiatives to trial changes to Comur Street. This will allow the
community and Council to experience the potential benefits and assess any impacts that may need to be
addressed.
To get involved in these projects or suggest other projects contact the Yass Valley Business Chamber.
The Yass Valley Business Chamber will be holding follow up meetings to encourage and enable members of the
community to support this initiative.

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 22

 APPENDIX 01 COMUR STREET PEDESTRIAN ACCESS

There is a clear long-term objective to significantly improve the pedestrian environment on Comur Street to
allow people to move easily from one side to the other to access shops, services and community facilities.
Issues identified with current arrangements included:
Distance of travel across the street
Conflict with vehicular traffic on the roundabouts when crossing Comur Street and difficulty in monitoring
traffic coming from multiple directions
Inability to cross safely and comfortably other than at the traffic lights, so distances between destinations
gets extended, particularly for the elderly and some others.
Subject to obtaining required approvals it is proposed that a pedestrian movement study is undertaken
through the installation of a temporary pedestrian refuge in the median of the main street. The trial should be
undertaken over a four week period during a typical average week avoiding, where possible, school and public
holiday periods. The trial period should include two full weeks with the temporary pedestrian refuge in place
and a week before and after the removal of the temporary refuge measures.
The purpose of the trial would be to test whether the installation of a temporary median refuge for pedestrian
movements increases and encourages pedestrian movements across the main street. It is proposed that
temporary traffic management measures are installed as shown in Figure 7 and 8 to allow pedestrians to safely
cross the road and take refuge in the median before continuing with their movement once an adequate gap in
traffic is identified. At this stage a temporary measure for the majority of the street length is proposed, as
opposed to a temporary crossing facility, to assist with analysing the pedestrian desire lines across the street.
After determining the pedestrian desire lines, permanent measures can be identified and considered in detail
following the completion of the trial. For example, if the trial identifies that all pedestrian movements are
occurring in a single location on the main street, it may be determined that a single crossing facility would be
adequate to service the pedestrian demand.
It is imperative that CCTV cameras are set up during the trial period and pedestrian movements are recorded
and monitored throughout the day for the duration of the trial. This data should then form part of detailed
analysis determining whether the trial measures actually increase and encourage pedestrian movements and if
the measures allowed for ease of movement and safe crossings for Yass visitors and residents. CCTV should
record the street both with and without the temporary median measure to understand how the measures
impact on the pedestrian movements.

Figure 7 Location for a temporary median (yellow) from Rossi Street to Meehan Street

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 23

 Figure 8 Location for a temporary median (yellow) from Meehan Street to Lead Street

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 24

 APPENDIX 02 USE OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS
The following outlines some information that is available to assist in considering the ongoing use of older and
heritage listed buildings.

NSW HERITAGE OFFICE PUBLICATIONS

Potential useful information could also include:
The Burra Charter and Illustrated Burra Charter
Church Buildings: Guidelines for their Care and Conservation
Conservation Areas
Conserving Historic Signs
Design in Context: Guidelines for Infill Development in the Historic Environment
Federation Architecture Guidelines
Fire Resistance of Timber Panel Doors
Heritage and Development A Lawyers Perspective
Heritage Curtilages
How to carry out work on heritage buildings and sites.
Local Government Heritage Guidelines
Model Heritage Provisions for LEPS
NSW Heritage Manual includes altering heritage assets.
New Uses for Heritage Places
Planning and Heritage
Recommendations for Local Heritage Management
Street Smart: Corporate Development in Historic Town Centres.

ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

A general guide on access to heritage buildings for people with disabilities is available at:
http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/150411c0-ba4f-4f0e-94b6-
5997eef81882/files/improving-access-heritage-buildings.pdf.
or, the guide can be at emaa.com.au/publications/Improving Access to Heritage Buildings.

FIRE
There are usually engineered solutions available, especially with the use of sprinklers. Fire engineers can assist.

TECHNICAL ADVICE
NSW Heritage Office is in the process of re-establishing advisory committees including a technical conservation
committee, which should be in place by August/September this year.
This will be a specialist panel within NSW Heritage that advises Councils and owners on Fire, Access and
Services issues and provides guidance free of charge.

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 25

 APPENDIX 03 APPROACHES TO TRANSFORMING URBAN
PLACES
In the introduction to the workshop session on Priorities for Change , the facilitation team introduced various
ways that communities and the government agencies responsible for civic places have temporarily or
permanently changed the urban environment and community engagement with place through projects and
events. The examples presented are included here for information. The following web links will give you more
information and inspiration.

Case Study 01 New York City Plaza Program and Parklets Program
Walking along New York streets you can see places that had been carved out of the roadside parking and
carriageways with planter boxes and furnished with chairs and tables where people sit conversing and enjoying
the sun.
In 2010 NYC started a program where they sought to reclaim parks from the streets to create a better balance
between cars and amenity for people. The key feature of this program was, with that long-term vision, the City
experimented with temporary installations to test the idea. One of the early places was Times Square. Here,
using deckchairs, bollards and planters, the idea of reclaiming part of the street from traffic was tested. This
has now been formalised with event spaces and permanent seating.
www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrains/nyc-plaza-program.shtr
On a smaller scale, businesses working with the city can reclaim small areas of street near their venues for
seating on the street. This has been done in many places around the world. The link below shows examples
from San Francisco.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/business/when-the-parking-space-becomes-a-park.html?_r=0
Another version of this is annual world wide Parking day where groups may take over a parking space and set
up with chairs, artificial grass and pots plants or the like as a small park for the day and picnic or hold events on
the street.

Case Study 02 Better Block Programs Clovelly

This is one of many Better Block projects and to quote from the introduction to an online video made to
celebrate the event:
On Sunday 27th October 2013 a group of passionate locals made Clovelly Road greener, safer and more
human. The road was temporarily changed by adding trees, tables, chairs, art and music and encouraging the
community to reimagine the street the way they would want it
The video shows the parking area along the street taken over by trees in pots, tables and chairs, chalk
decorated pavement, lots of signs, art works and pop up cafes, stalls showing local produce, new invention
displays and entertainment bitumen transformed for a day to a space for people.
http://www.innersydneyvioce.org.au/pub/better-block/

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 26

 Case Study 03 Tarry Town Music Hall
In Tarry Town, an hour from NYC by train, the community is running an old music hall that put on performers
who liked intimate audiences but were sufficiently well known to pull a crowd from out of town. That in itself
was interesting but even more impressive is that with the ticket booking confirmation comes an email that
advertises good places to eat before the event, places to stay and other things to do locally to encourage
visitors to stop over. It is clever way to promote the town and benefit local business on the back of a
community asset.
http://tarrytownmusichall.org/

Case Study 04 Common Ground Apple Day

A group in England called Common Ground has a focus on valuing what is distinctive about our local
environments. Apple Day is an ongoing initiative that uses events that highlight the variety of apples to make
explicit the connections between place and food and the impact we have on nature. The first event reclaimed
the old apple market in Convent Garden but since then lots of smaller local activities have occurred. It has
become a regular calendar event, an autumn holiday and a focus for activities of other groups in the
community. Alongside tasting, juicing, baking, pruning and grafting, plays, songs and arts activities supplement
the most popular aspect of the day: display tasting and buying numerous varieties of apples and getting expert
help for identification.
https://www.commonground.org.uk/apple-day/
The local event that is similar in character and has become a destination event drawing visitors from the
surrounding area is the Collector Pumpkin Festival.

Additional reference
Tactical Urbanism - Short Term Action for Long Term Change by Mike Lydon and Anthony Garcia published by
Island Press

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 27

 Table 5 Revisions

Revision Author Reviewer Approved Date

01 S Hughes M Pilbrow S Hughes 04 August 2016

Yass Main Street Community Workshop Action Plan Revision 01 28