Most of the so-called “Great Wall of Strahan” will be torn down under new plans the West Coast Council has put out for community feedback.
The council released the “unwalling” plans on August 28 and opened them for consultation, with a final design to go before councillors for endorsement by the end of September.
The concrete wall was built as part of a long-running upgrade of the Strahan waterfront, but the design triggered a community revolt earlier this year.
A petition led to a public meeting on January 8 attended by 126 people, who raised concerns about the wall, the hard rock landscaping, poor wharf access and a lack of green space.
The council voted in January to remove most of the wall and has held a series of community sessions since.
West Coast Mayor Shane Pitt said the wall was an error.
“The wall was constructed in good faith as part of a long-standing plan to upgrade the Strahan waterfront, however in hindsight the design was wrong,” Pitt said.
He said the council had listened to the community.
“For this reason, we have taken great care and time to engage with the community to make sure we get the unwalling right,” he said.
The new plans were developed by landscape architects PlaySt alongside the Strahan Waterfront Advisory Committee and aim to address the wall, the landscaping and wharf access.
Most of the wall would be removed, with any retained sections lowered to about a metre and fitted with handrails to open up water views.
The rock landscaping that drew safety complaints would be stripped out and replaced with native West Coast planting, timber mulch and retained Huon pine stumps and logs.
Two face-to-face sessions with consultants, councillors and staff will be held at the Strahan Gym and Multi-Purpose Centre on Gaffney St.
The first is on Wednesday, September 9, from 6pm to 8pm and the second on Thursday, September 10, from 9am to 11am.
Pitt said all feedback would be “taken seriously”.
If endorsed, construction is expected to begin in October, with a first stage removing part of the wall by the end of the year.
