Mackay Waterfront

An eight-week consultation timeframe was held from May to July 2017. Consultation included project displays at key community events, a letter mail out to 800 residents, local media coverage, stakeholder meetings and an online survey. The response was extremely positive, constructive, and informative with high levels of support for the redevelopment of the waterfront areas

The Minister for Economic Development Queensland declared a Priority Development Area over the Mackay Waterfront. 

State Government approved council’s proposed development scheme. The development scheme is an overarching planning instrument that controls land use, infrastructure planning and development in the PDA.

Council endorsed the Mackay Waterfront Master Plan. The Master Plan sets out the public realm vision and concepts for the Mackay Waterfront over a 20-year period to inform more detailed design of projects and to complement the objectives and requirements of the PDA development scheme.

Mayor Greg Williamson and Julieanne Gilbert MP cut the ribbon to officially mark the opening of Queens Park. The small ceremony marked the completion of the $8.86 million revitalisation program, which featured major upgrades to services, infrastructure, and landscaping. The yearlong project was funded by the Queensland Government in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Debbie and was the first project to take place as part of the Mackay Waterfront PDA.

Six council-owned freehold sites in the Mackay Waterfront PDA were offered through an Expression of Interest (EOI) process to gauge development potential. This process was a good opportunity to test the market appetite for private investment.

Following the mural beautification works in 2019, Fifth Lane located between Gregory and Wood streets underwent an infrastructure makeover which included water main works, a new road pavement, electrical provision, and the installation of festoon lighting.

The Mackay Waterfront project hit an exciting milestone with the awarding of the tender for the development rights of six council-owned sites to the ReNew Mackay Consortium. 

The construction on the public realm area between Paxtons Warehouse and the Mackay Fish Market began March 2022. This project marked stage one of the Riverside Revitalisation works which was jointly funded by the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund. 

Stage one was completed before Christmas with the opening of ‘River Wharves’ providing a large pavilion, shelters, picnic areas, amenities, shared pathways and a range of seating to enjoy the river views.

Our beautiful blue water river is now more accessible than ever with the delivery of the Pioneer River Floating Pontoon, the second stage of the Riverside Revitalisation Project. The Pontoon can be accessed via a gangway from the Brisbane Street Fishing pier, next to the Bluewater Quay.