The upgrade of the Frenchmans Terrace foreshore precinct will benefit both locals and visitors who use this area throughout the year. Council has committed funding as part of its Infrastructure & Asset Management Plan (IAMP) for new public toilets, footpaths, beach accesses, planting, fences and reconfigured parking areas. Subject to federal funding (Growing Regions Program), the project may also include elevated walkways at the Penneshaw Penguin Centre, heritage-listed Frenchman’s Rock and a footpath the entire length of the foreshore from Lloyd Collins Reserve to Frenchmans Rock. This will require a realignment of Cheopis Street, and further improvements will be made if Council is successful with the funding to improve accessibility between Penneshaw’s main recreation area, the port & the town centre. The result will be a much safer and more inclusive public space that benefits Islanders and the range of visitors who use the area.
Artist’s impression of the proposed Frenchmans Terrace footpath
The extent of the project is subject to federal grant funding (Growing Regions Program of which KI Council was shortlisted) that is expected to be announced by early April 2024. Please refer to the supporting plans for more detail.
The project will be phased over multiple stages to reduce the area of disruption to the community. Work on the toilet is expected to start in May 2024, and is subject to contractor availability. Council has applied for grant funding to extend the scope of work for the foreshore upgrade. If Council is successful in this funding, the completion date for the multiple stages will be mid-2025, and if unsuccessful, the scheduled renewal works will be completed by December 2024.
Council decided in 2023 to purchase an off-the-shelf design for the building to ensure best value for money. Following an open tender process, a Terrain Group building was selected. Council has requested some customisations to the building to make it more suitable for the location and Penneshaw’s character. The durable aluminium building meets Council’s budget and maintenance needs, with many Councils Australia-wide using Terrain products.
Council will install temporary portable toilets at Lloyd Collins Reserve during construction of the new toilets as well as and signage to advise the public of the nearest alternative public toilets (behind the PCBC).
The earlier stages of the project will not require any road closures, however some parking and pedestrian restrictions and some daytime construction noise (within the EPA guidelines) can be expected. If Council’s grant application is successful, there may be a part road closure of the eastern end of Frenchmans Terrace in the area around Frenchmans Rock to enable road works to occur, but this work is not expected to start until early 2025. Council will provide updates about potential road closures as soon as the construction schedule is finalised.
Consultation with the tourism industry is continuing to find a preferred location for cruise ship buses rather than the Lloyd Collins Reserve parking area, where their size and turning requirements continues to be challenging to accommodate within the carpark. Notice to all affected businesses and operators will be provided once finalised.
The permits for food trucks in the Lloyd Collins Reserve parking area are valid for use anywhere within the parking area and these local businesses can continue to operate in this area under the conditions of their leases. The proposed carpark work will be completed outside of the high tourism season, minimizing disruption to these local vendors.
Council has completed a preliminary environmental and heritage report, and further environmental assessments and preparation will be completed closer to the construction of the beach accesses and boardwalks (grant-dependent), similar to the upgrade of the Bay Terrace footpath and fence. Little Penguin burrows and other sensitive sites will be marked as exclusion zones for construction, however the site is fortunately not currently a key penguin nesting area. The project is scheduled for the penguin moulting season in early 2025 when penguins are typically out to sea and burrows are empty. Construction will also be occurring during the day when fauna in the area is typically less active. Minimal native vegetation will be removed as part of the project, and required approvals will be obtained prior to any removal. An order has been placed with the KI Native Plant Nursery for some revegetation works as part of the project.
The toilet block is prefabricated and will be assembled on site by Terrain Group, who will also engage several local Kangaroo Island subcontractors to complete the project. Council has an existing three-year contract with a footpath contractor (Denco Civil), and a tender process will occur for the remaining work including earthworks, fencing and elevated paths (if successful with the grant application).
Different stages of the project have been consulted on over recent years between 2021 and 2023. This includes public consultation on the Five Year Footpath Program, Town Centres Project master plan, 2023/2024 Annual Business Plan and targeted stakeholder consultation including Penneshaw Progress Association.
A community information session was held on 21 March 2024, and once Council receives notification of the grant funding, further information and communications will be provided through a variety of printed media, letter drops to affected residents and online communication.
This State Government’s Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) is delivering the upgrade of the Penneshaw port. Residents are encouraged to stay up to date via the DIT website: www.dit.sa.gov.au/infrastructure/road_projects/kangaroo-island/kangaroo-island-ports-upgrade
For more information, or to register for project updates, please email DIT.KangarooIsland@sa.gov.au or call 1300 794 880.
WHO CAN I CONTACT AT COUNCIL ABOUT THIS PROJECT?
For more information about the above project, please contact the Customer Service team on 8553 4500 or email kicouncil@kicouncil.sa.gov.au.