In September of 2021 the residents of Millthorpe were presented with concepts for a town plan that many thought would destroy the unique unspoilt character of the historic village.
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On Tuesday night via a video meeting chaired by Blayney Shire Council's Director of Infrastructure Services Grant Baker, nine residents, compared to the 35 who tuned in for the first meeting, took the opportunity to listen to Place Design Group director Nick Ison detail the the new concept plans.
Overall, when compared to the audacious ideas first detailed in the first concept plans, the new one could really be called Millthorpe Lite.
Gone are the fanciful ideas of one-way streets and pedestrian only plazas and in are maintaining the original atmosphere of the main street, rather than treating it as a theme park.
The biggest change is away from the picturesque Pym Street, which would have the bluestone kerbing repointed and the powerlines placed underground, and is centred around Victoria Street from the Commercial Hotel to the Millthorpe Motel.
The new plan will narrow the entry to Victoria Street at the Park Street intersection to discourage through traffic. Victoria Street would become a 30kmh zone to add another reason for traffic to divert to Glenorie Road when passing through the village.
The new design of the Park and Victoria Street intersection has been created to discourage through traffic, mainly by Cadia workers coming from Bathurst, however Rachel Gordon, who lives five minutes east of Millthorpe, the question of what defines 'through traffic' was answered by Mr Baker.
"The idea is to direct traffic that is already passing through the village around Glenorie Road, but as a local it's more than likely, and we recognise that, that you will drive through the village," he said.
"If you're willing to spend an extra 30 seconds or a minute to drive in that slower zone, it's not something that's a regulated thing."
Also in complete contrast to the first meeting were some of the ideas put forward by those in attendance.
Millthorpe Public School principal Penny Granger requested that parking lines be painted on the road outside the school on both sides of Victoria Street as well as near the museum and police station.
Other discussions centred around opening up the Village Green at the bottom of Victoria Street to make it more accessible and visible to visitors, the style of trees to be planted on Victoria Street and extending the underground electricity plans to the railway station.
The plans will be on public exhibition after the April Blayney council meeting.
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Mark Logan
Started working in newspapers in the 1990's in the darkroom of the Pastoral Times in Deniliquin before moving to Millthorpe in 2003. Soon after arriving I started as a photographer at the CWD. Now a journalist at the Blayney Chronicle.
Started working in newspapers in the 1990's in the darkroom of the Pastoral Times in Deniliquin before moving to Millthorpe in 2003. Soon after arriving I started as a photographer at the CWD. Now a journalist at the Blayney Chronicle.
