Disasters – natural or manmade – can be catastrophic, particularly for communities residing in regional town, destroying not just the local economy but also their homes and livelihood, notes Hatch, a multidisciplinary firm in urban solutions, engineering, operational and development projects in metals, energy and infrastructure.

Fifteen years after the Black Saturday firestorm caused widespread devastation in the Victorian community of Marysville, the transformation of the town into a thriving tourist destination and liveable neighbourhood has been remarkable. The urban planners at Hatch, who helped lead the revival, say Marysville is a prime case study for understanding the complex process of rebuilding a regional township.

AGL’s recent closure of the Liddell Power Station in NSW’s Muswellbrook after 52 years, is also an instructive precedent. Leigh Holford, principal economist at Hatch’s newly expanded social advisory and economics division, argues that the question of how regional economies survive after such decisions or disasters is more important than ever, especially in a town like Muswellbrook where a key industry that once employed a sizeable portion of the population is shut down.

“Adapting is key for these communities and, while no two towns or regional communities are the same, the first thing we do is strategically reimagine the future of the locality with a true cross-section of the community’s representatives and stakeholders,” says Holford.

“This must be done from an integrated perspective, encompassing the community at every turn. Any plan that does not integrate a multidisciplinary approach in the strategic planning phase – economic, social, environmental, infrastructure, urban design and planning is destined to fail. There is no perfect plan, but there are plenty of poorly thought-out ones that prioritise a single perspective.”

“Australia has a history of ‘mono-industry’ towns, where there has been disproportionate reliance on one industry. That’s changing: a farming region can be an agri-tourism destination. A wine region or beach destination may be proximate to a renewable energy zone – as is the case with NSW’s Hunter Valley and Central Coast regions – bringing new business attractors and livelihoods,” adds Holford.

Hatch’s approach is to first talk to the local community in person and conduct surveys and workshops to understand community needs, alongside established and prospective business needs. Integrated specialists can then be employed to promote the region’s assets and help rebuild the town with a new industry base.

For Marysville’s revival, a project team of Hatch urban designers and placemakers helped to rapidly re-establish the town as a tourist destination and re-activate the economic and social life of the village. Community engagement was a key component of Hatch’s placemaking and resilience planning strategy, helping the team reimagine Marysville with a view to rebuilding the town.

“Starting with a four-day ‘Phoenix Workshop’ that included guidance from the Victorian State Government, community leaders, and local council, we developed an urban plan with a village heart at its core,” Hatch partner Mike Day explains.

“For Hatch, it was about capturing the emotional essence of Marysville by prioritising community engagement at every turn. Regional revivals work best when residents and leaders are included and consulted at every step of the journey.”

This strategy helped Hatch placemakers win a major award for Public Engagement and Community Planning in 2019 following their reimagining of Yanchep Lagoon, which saw the fast-growing Perth suburb transformed into a thriving corridor poised for major tourism, recreation and economic growth.

Another success story of economic revival involved the former Portland Cement Works in Portland, NSW, with Hatch collaborating with ECORR to transform the town into a charming cultural and tourism hub by leveraging its heritage-listed disused quarries to become The Foundations, a unique artists-in-residence program with regional events attracting visitors from across NSW.

Image: Marysville Information & Regional Artspace

Branko Miletic

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