Whyalla Beach + Foreshore Master Plan

• Whyalla, South Australia
• City of Whyalla
• 2021
• <$150,000

Whyalla’s foreshore area includes more than 1km of sandy beach and park lands, a 1980s marina, caravan park, surf club, and a major development opportunity in the repurposing of more than 10ha of surplus school land in a beach-side location.

Jensen PLUS led a multi-disciplinary team to “Develop an implementable Master Plan for the Whyalla Foreshore and surrounding precinct, to harness economic, recreation and tourism development opportunities.” Exciting proposals of the master plan include a new water play park themed on Whyalla’s famous marine visitor, the Great Australian Cuttlefish. An upgraded surf club and cafés, jetty activations, the adaptive re-use of Whyalla High School’s heritage buildings, a new beachside residential village, dune rehabilitation, boardwalk path extensions, Hummock Hill trails, and other opportunities for new tourist accommodation are also detailed.

A highlight of master planning was a three-day Co-Design workshop held at the Beach Cafe and with strong input from local stakeholders and landowners, residents, councillors, school students and passers-by.

The draft master plan attracted more than 2000 community consultation responses, with overwhelming support for the vision of: “a fun, active place with more things to do, more reasons to stay, and attracts more people to Whyalla. We want a place that reveals what’s great about Whyalla and brings new energy and life to the surrounding city.”