The initial works will commence on the Southern Bicentennial Lakes Revitalisation Project on Monday, 24 July 2023.

There are a few stages to the project with the first being removing the weirs. As a result, access across the creek will be closed at the two southern bridges, for the foreseeable future.

Rankin Street or the pathway to the north opposite O’Donnell Street are alternative routes.

Please see below, a basic diagram outlining where the two closed sections are. The closure will also be clearly sign-posted when work commences.

For further information, please contact Council.

The Northern Section of Mareeba’s Bicentennial Lakes, between Keeble Street and Rotary Park, is set to be revitalised under Council’s Parks & Open Spaces Action Plan. Work will commence after the Southern section of the Lakes is completed.

Council will hold two ‘drop-in’ information sessions to answer any questions you may have about this project.

Survey Results

Thank you to those who completed the survey. We are pleased to provide the following snapshot of the results.

Stay tuned for updates as the project progresses!

The Bicentennial Lakes Project will completely revitalise the Lakes, starting in the southern section between Rankin Street and Keeble Street, with some minor work in the northern section between Keeble St and Granite Creek to improve the movement of water.

In the southern section, the weirs will be removed, and the lakes will be filled to allow for more parkland. A watercourse will remain, although it will be narrower to encourage seasonal rains to flow through into the northern section. Water will no longer stagnate in a series of weirs. The increased parkland will allow for the addition of a playground and outdoor facilities.

Council would like to invite residents, businesses and stakeholders to take part in the upcoming community engagement planned for the project. The engagement will consist of on-site meetings and a survey seeking resident input to help prioritise the play and outdoor elements in the park.

We can’t do it all, but with your help we will build a wonderful modern space for Mareeba families and visitors to enjoy.

Council will hold two ‘drop-in’ information sessions on-site to answer any questions you may have.

Location: Grassed area in the Bicentennial Lakes, opposite Mason and Hort Streets.

• Session 1: Saturday, 1 April 2023 from 8:30am – 10:30am
• Session 2: Wednesday, 12 April 2023 from 3:00pm – 6:00pm

• Bulk earthworks to improve the movement of water
• Earthworks to increase parkland in the southern section
• Construction of a playground or pump track
• Footpath improvements
• Construction of outdoor facilities

Council obtained funding for the detailed design for the Lakes from the Queensland Government 2022-24 Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program.

The biggest investment in the redevelopment of the southern section will be the adventure playground and outdoor facilities that are installed. We would love to redevelop the entire parkland at once, both the southern and northern portions, but we are constrained by the budget. This approach allows Council to create a beautiful active recreation space in the southern section, without any additional cost to ratepayers.

In the coming weeks, Council will issue a survey and hold two on-site drop-in information sessions where residents can help us prioritise the elements.

Please don’t be disappointed if your preferred elements are not selected as we have limited funding available.

Council is seeking further funding to allow for additional enhancements throughout the parkland.