Heritage Park Mullumbimby Landscape Masterplan

photo of trees and palms with blue sky behind

The Landscape Masterplan guides the layout and future development of the Heritage Park area. This includes:

  • Maslen Arboretum
  • Heritage Park West 
  • Palm Park.
  • Tincogan Street intersection.

The Masterplan was developed in consultation with stakeholders and interested community. It was adopted in 2023.

Take a look at the Heritage Park Landscape Masterplan(PDF, 15MB)

What improvements are happening at Heritage Park?

Works on a new accessible pathway and playground upgrade, are kicking off in September at Heritage Park, Mullumbimby.

Construction is expected to take approximately 6 months.

Works include

  • 2m wide path, including boardwalk areas, from Mill Street entrance to Brunswick Terrace.
  • Upgrades to the existing playground.
  • Removal of unofficial carpark area.
  • New dog off lead area.

How will this impact me?

  • The area at the eastern part of the park along Mill Street will be closed off.
  • The carpark will be returned to turf and cars will be restricted from accessing the site by installation of rock barriers.
  • At various stages during construction parts of the park will be closed off to the public. 
  • During the playground upgrades the existing playground will be closed and fenced.

For more information visit Heritage park accessible pathway and playground upgrade

Other works include rehabilitating the eroded lands impacted by unauthorised vehicle access at the Western end of the reserve.

Overview of the Landscape Masterplan

The landscape treatments and design strategies for Heritage Park promote the following outcomes: 

  • Environmental
  • Cultural
  • Open space.

The plan helps to guide:

  • Future project priorities and staging.
  • How funds are allocated.  
  • Potential grant applications.

The Plan is aimed at:

  • Protecting and enhancing Mullumbimby’s green and leafy character 
  • Allowing reconnection with the river. 

There are specific actions to: 

  • Restore riparian vegetation 
  • Upgrade Heritage Park public facilities. 

Aims of the Landscape Masterplan

  • Ensure everyone can find their way to, in and around Heritage Park. Layout and wayfinding will allow for accessible ease of movement throughout the parklands and connectivity both across parkland spaces and to adjacent urban areas.
  • Ensure parkland infrastructure is accessible and makes social interaction easier. 
  • Ensure natural materials and landscaping are considered. Infrastructure aligns as much as possible both aesthetically and physically with the natural landscape.
  • Identify opportunities for enhancement of the play space with imaginative play elements. 
  • Identify opportunities to accommodate requirements for recreational access to the Brunswick River.
  • Consider options to improve safe pedestrian crossing treatments over Tincogan Street.

Issues that the Landscape Masterplan addresses

Accessibility and connectivity 

Pedestrian access will be prioritised as the main access strategy to the site.  A critical requirement of the masterplan process and any future works is improving accessibility within the park. Improving accessibility within the park:

  • increases the potential park uses and users
  • opens the opportunity for connecting the park to Mullumbimby town centre.

Hydrology and drainage 

Much of the park is in flood flow zones and all of it is in potential inundation areas. 

Existing key drainage locations will be upgraded to ensure positive drainage throughout the site. The main upgrades proposed will be:

  • planted drainage swales
  • rain gardens
  • regrading of some areas to limit pooling of water. 

These works can also positively impact the biodiversity of the park and add to existing environmental education assets such as the Arboretum.

Vehicle access

The onsite car parking and vehicular access consumes large expanses of the park in valuable positions, meaning these areas cannot be used as public open recreational space.

Prioritising people oriented open space and riparian health will mean the removal of informal car parking and vehicular access from the northern end of the park.

Car parking to the western river access will be upgraded and rationalised with accessible car parking.

This will improve safety, ecological issues, and enhance usable public open space.

Tincogan Street intersection

Improving the safety of the Tincogan Street / Brunswick Terrace intersection was a key outcome of the site analysis and community consultation. 

Changes are required to the intersection to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety. 

Adjustments proposed include:

  • pedestrian refuge traffic islands
  • carriageway adjustment
  • adoption of left hand turn only for vehicles entering Tincogan Street from Brunswick Terrace or entering Brunswick Terrace from Tincogan Street.

Ecology and habitat

Reducing the destruction and loss of the riparian zones is imperative for the environmental and ecological health of the site.

Riparian vegetation along the riverbanks is essential for bank stability and the protection of the park and wildlife habitat. 

Strengthening of the riparian zones will be undertaken by:

  • implementing planting strategies to reinforce the existing riparian corridors
  • removal of weed species. 

In areas where the riparian vegetation has been impacted, planting areas will be widened. Vehicle access to riparian areas will be managed and/or removed.

Improving limited and aging infrastructure 

Upgrades and refurbishments to existing infrastructure as well as additional facilities will be incorporated into the park. Proposed upgrades include:

  • shelters
  • playground
  • benches
  • picnic tables
  • pathways
  • bridges
  • drainage systems
  • car parking
  • river access. 

This will create a more usable, appealing and welcoming space for a wide range of community members. Existing infrastructure should be retained where possible.

Boat ramp river access and open space use 

There are currently formal and an informal boat ramps in Heritage Park. The formal boat ramp is under-utilised due to poor access and insufficient river depths. The informal boat ramp is having significant negative impacts on riparian health. 

The solution promoted in this masterplan is to provide 'soft' river access from within the park- kayaks, canoes-and relocate boat access facilities to river areas outside of the town centre of Mullumbimby.