Cooling the Town Square

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Consultation has concluded

27th March 2025

What We Heard 


  Thank you for your input 

From 7 February to 8 March 2025, Katherine Town Council invited community feedback on ideas to cool and improve our Town Square. Community members provided input through the Your Say Katherine platform and email submissions.  

We’re grateful to everyone who shared their views. Your feedback helps shape the future of this important public space. 

Participation Snapshot 

  • Total visits to the Your Say Katherine consultation page: 356 

  • Aware participants (visited project page): 271 

  • Informed participants (read documents, viewed photos): 94 

  • Engaged participants (submitted ideas or feedback): 10 

What you said

The community consistently told us the Town Square is too hot, uncomfortable, and underutilised—especially during the day. The key issue raised was the excessive heat caused by concrete surfaces and lack of greenery. Safety and accessibility were also recurring concerns. 

Here are the top themes and suggestions from the community: 

1. Increase Shade 

  • Use a mix of shade sails, retractable awnings, and pergolas 

  • Plant more shade-providing trees (with expert arborist advice) 

  • Maintain visibility of the movie screen while improving coverage 

2. Add Greenery and Grass 

  • Reintroduce grass to cool the area and soften the space 

  • Plant hedges, shrubs, vines and suitable shade trees 

  • Relocate existing trees to more suitable spaces if needed 

3. Install Water Features 

  • Repair misting stations for immediate relief 

  • Add a decorative fountain (non-drinking) 

  • Explore a pop-up water play feature like Perth’s BHP Water Park 

4. More Seating 

  • Install more shaded public seating (awnings, umbrellas, or built-in shade) 

  • Include divided seating to discourage camping while staying inclusive 

  • Upgrade the stage area to better support community events 

5. Improve Safety and Accessibility 

  • Establish an alcohol-free zone 

  • Improve lighting and install CCTV cameras 

  • Explore potential NT Police presence or a community kiosk 

Next Steps  

The Council’s Infrastructure team will: 

  • Review all community feedback 

  • Analyse cooling and improvement options based on: 

  • Cost 

  • Timeframe 

  • Feasibility 

  • Budget and funding options 

  • Provide a report with recommendations to the Council’s CEO and elected members. 

Timeframe 

The Council's infrastructure team is currently working on several major infrastructure projects, including the Aquatic Centre, Civic Centre redevelopment, new Lindsay Street toilet facilities, and the Zimin Drive shared pathway. Therefore, it may be a few months before a project plan is developed. We will keep you informed.  

 

Update 4th March 2025: Thank you for your contributions. This consultation is now closed.  

Katherine Town Council wants your ideas for creating shade in the Town Square—locally known as "50 Cent Park."

A Little History

In February 2020, then-Mayor Fay Miller announced that the Council had endorsed a new CBD Revitalisation concept to transform Katherine Town Square. This project was a significant step in the 2019 Katherine CBD Masterplan, developed by Ashford Group Architects, which aimed to modernise and cool the town centre with a range of projects that the Council could implement over time as funding became available. The original design featured shady trees to create a natural canopy for the square.

The Current Challenge

It's been four years, but unfortunately, the selected trees haven't thrived in the conditions, leaving the Town Square without the shade we need to enjoy it fully. We know how important shade is to our community, and now we're asking for your help to reimagine how we can achieve it.

Project Planning

As we move forward, we want to hear your creative concepts for shade solutions. Whether it's a sketch, a description, or a photo of a design that inspires you, your input will guide the project's next steps. When considering your ideas, Council will assess:

  • What do people want? What elements would make the Town Square a more enjoyable space?
  • How much will it cost? Can we make it affordable and sustainable?
  • How long will it take? Is the solution practical and achievable within a reasonable timeframe?

Share Your Vision

This is your chance to help shape the future of the Town Square. We're looking for creative ideas—big or small—to help cool the space and make it a more welcoming part of our community. Your submissions will help us identify preferred concepts, guiding the next planning and implementation stages. In this site's document section, we have uploaded a copy of the Katherine CBD Masterplan and some ideas we've found from around the world to inspire you. Check them out!

Here's how you can have your say:

  • Use the Ideas project tool to submit, write a suggestion, make a comment, or even upload a photo of an idea you think could work at the Town Square.
  • You can email an idea to contactus@ktc.nt.gov.au
  • You can drop off a written concept or idea to the front desk at the Civic Centre.

Got a question?

  • Submit your question using Your Say Katherine's Question tool
  • Email the question to contactus@ktc.nt.gov.au
  • Phone the Council on 8972 5500 and ask to speak to the Town Square project manager.


27th March 2025

What We Heard 


  Thank you for your input 

From 7 February to 8 March 2025, Katherine Town Council invited community feedback on ideas to cool and improve our Town Square. Community members provided input through the Your Say Katherine platform and email submissions.  

We’re grateful to everyone who shared their views. Your feedback helps shape the future of this important public space. 

Participation Snapshot 

  • Total visits to the Your Say Katherine consultation page: 356 

  • Aware participants (visited project page): 271 

  • Informed participants (read documents, viewed photos): 94 

  • Engaged participants (submitted ideas or feedback): 10 

What you said

The community consistently told us the Town Square is too hot, uncomfortable, and underutilised—especially during the day. The key issue raised was the excessive heat caused by concrete surfaces and lack of greenery. Safety and accessibility were also recurring concerns. 

Here are the top themes and suggestions from the community: 

1. Increase Shade 

  • Use a mix of shade sails, retractable awnings, and pergolas 

  • Plant more shade-providing trees (with expert arborist advice) 

  • Maintain visibility of the movie screen while improving coverage 

2. Add Greenery and Grass 

  • Reintroduce grass to cool the area and soften the space 

  • Plant hedges, shrubs, vines and suitable shade trees 

  • Relocate existing trees to more suitable spaces if needed 

3. Install Water Features 

  • Repair misting stations for immediate relief 

  • Add a decorative fountain (non-drinking) 

  • Explore a pop-up water play feature like Perth’s BHP Water Park 

4. More Seating 

  • Install more shaded public seating (awnings, umbrellas, or built-in shade) 

  • Include divided seating to discourage camping while staying inclusive 

  • Upgrade the stage area to better support community events 

5. Improve Safety and Accessibility 

  • Establish an alcohol-free zone 

  • Improve lighting and install CCTV cameras 

  • Explore potential NT Police presence or a community kiosk 

Next Steps  

The Council’s Infrastructure team will: 

  • Review all community feedback 

  • Analyse cooling and improvement options based on: 

  • Cost 

  • Timeframe 

  • Feasibility 

  • Budget and funding options 

  • Provide a report with recommendations to the Council’s CEO and elected members. 

Timeframe 

The Council's infrastructure team is currently working on several major infrastructure projects, including the Aquatic Centre, Civic Centre redevelopment, new Lindsay Street toilet facilities, and the Zimin Drive shared pathway. Therefore, it may be a few months before a project plan is developed. We will keep you informed.  

 

Update 4th March 2025: Thank you for your contributions. This consultation is now closed.  

Katherine Town Council wants your ideas for creating shade in the Town Square—locally known as "50 Cent Park."

A Little History

In February 2020, then-Mayor Fay Miller announced that the Council had endorsed a new CBD Revitalisation concept to transform Katherine Town Square. This project was a significant step in the 2019 Katherine CBD Masterplan, developed by Ashford Group Architects, which aimed to modernise and cool the town centre with a range of projects that the Council could implement over time as funding became available. The original design featured shady trees to create a natural canopy for the square.

The Current Challenge

It's been four years, but unfortunately, the selected trees haven't thrived in the conditions, leaving the Town Square without the shade we need to enjoy it fully. We know how important shade is to our community, and now we're asking for your help to reimagine how we can achieve it.

Project Planning

As we move forward, we want to hear your creative concepts for shade solutions. Whether it's a sketch, a description, or a photo of a design that inspires you, your input will guide the project's next steps. When considering your ideas, Council will assess:

  • What do people want? What elements would make the Town Square a more enjoyable space?
  • How much will it cost? Can we make it affordable and sustainable?
  • How long will it take? Is the solution practical and achievable within a reasonable timeframe?

Share Your Vision

This is your chance to help shape the future of the Town Square. We're looking for creative ideas—big or small—to help cool the space and make it a more welcoming part of our community. Your submissions will help us identify preferred concepts, guiding the next planning and implementation stages. In this site's document section, we have uploaded a copy of the Katherine CBD Masterplan and some ideas we've found from around the world to inspire you. Check them out!

Here's how you can have your say:

  • Use the Ideas project tool to submit, write a suggestion, make a comment, or even upload a photo of an idea you think could work at the Town Square.
  • You can email an idea to contactus@ktc.nt.gov.au
  • You can drop off a written concept or idea to the front desk at the Civic Centre.

Got a question?

  • Submit your question using Your Say Katherine's Question tool
  • Email the question to contactus@ktc.nt.gov.au
  • Phone the Council on 8972 5500 and ask to speak to the Town Square project manager.


Consultation has concluded

Your questions will be displayed and answered publicly and might help form an FAQ for the project's next stage.