News

Street project paused for review

By Lua Ikenasio

Nov 20, 2025

Plans for the Meninya St project have been put on hold.

At its November meeting, Murray River Council resolved to halt design works on the Meninya St precinct project.

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The design process, originally expected to be completed by mid-2026, has been paused as council clarifies the project’s future direction.

The decision was made following an update provided to council about the project.

As the project had progressed under previous council resolutions, the current council hadn’t had the opportunity to formally reaffirm its commitment.

In deciding to pause the project, councillors cited feedback from the community and local businesses opposing the project in its current form.

Mayor John Harvie said council would reassess the project before moving ahead.

“Recent discussions have suggested that support for the project in its current form may not be sufficient to justify continued investment of time and resources,” he said.

“As a result, council has determined that pausing the project will allow space to reassess community expectations, financial considerations and the overall scope of what is needed in Meninya St before proceeding further.”

The project aims to enhance the street’s visual identity and create a welcoming space that encourages visitors to stop, stay and support local businesses.

To date, the design process has been managed by Spiire Australia Pty Ltd in collaboration with council and the broader community.

So far, the project has delivered master plans, conceptual plans, video animations and made progress on detailed designs.

Cr Harvie said the pause would allow council to reflect on its next course of action.

“Pausing the project will enable councillors to carefully consider what is needed for the CBD and determine the most appropriate next steps for Meninya St and Moama,” he said.

The project was intended to be completed in stages over several years, with council seeking to secure state and federal grant funding to offset costs.

So far, the project has incurred a total expenditure of $1,093,455, with a remaining commitment of $436,595.

While a detailed design has not been finalised with a formal cost estimate, the complete scope of works has been estimated at $22 million to $25 million.

Council acknowledged that regardless of the project proceeding or not, a number of infrastructure updates would still be required in coming years to address asset renewal and compliance issues.