Additional Avon Street upgrades to boost Texas kerb appeal

Goondiwindi Regional Council has announced additional upgrades to Avon Street in Texas to improve the street’s parking, accessibility and beautification.

Council will install new concrete kerb edging around the median strip on the northern end of Avon Street (in the block between Middleton Street and Lennon Street).

The new kerb will prevent drivers from driving or parking on the strip, which has previously damaged the grass and caused dirt to be tracked onto the road. The work will help to keep the road looking tidy and improve its street appeal.

Council has allocated $60,000 of the State Government's 2020-21 COVID Works for Queensland (W4Q) program towards the project. The work will complement other recent Council upgrades on Avon Street, including the recent installation of two new picnic shelters and the replacement of tables and chairs at the street’s popular rest area, also funded by W4Q.

Councillor Jason Watts holds Council’s portfolio for roads and transport and said the upgrade would improve the street’s appearance, as well as ensuring proper road use.

“The new edging will vastly improve the overall look of the area and stop the grass from being damaged, which is unsightly for those who live nearby,” Cr Watts said. More importantly, it will encourage safer driving and road use.

“We know that concrete kerb edging is one of the most requested infrastructure upgrades across the region,” he said. “In this instance, there was already an existing median strip on the road, so this upgrade was prioritised to reduce the ongoing costs to Council of repairing reoccurring damage.”

The northern end of Avon Street is primarily a residential area but also provides access to a local caravan and accommodation park. Cr Watts said the upgrade would align the island’s appearance to the standards found elsewhere in Texas and would improve the overall impression of the town for visitors.

“We always want to create a good impression to visitors from outside the region,” Cr Watts said. “Texas has a strong reputation as a picturesque, tidy town - that’s definitely the impression we want visitors to take away with them, and we want local residents to share that feeling of pride about the town’s presentation.

Excavation work is now under way, with the project expected to take about three weeks to complete. Council has engaged a local contractor to carry out the work.

The Avon Street project will complement a number of other recent Council works in Texas that have focused on improving community assets for residents and visitors alike. These include the installation of new softfall surfacing at the Texas All-Abilities Park, and the construction of a new footpath that connects the popular Dumaresq River rest area to the Texas CBD, encouraging visitors to walk into town and support local businesses.

Cr Watts said external funding sources such as W4Q presented a valuable opportunity for investment in the region.

“The improvement of public infrastructure and the safety of our roads is always a priority for this council," he said. "External grants and funding such as the COVID W4Q program mean we achieve that at minimal cost to the ratepayer using outside investment – and this gives us the opportunity to focus our Budget on other projects.”