CREATIVEMOVE recently completed two interrelated reports for the Moreton Bay Regional Council (MBRC), Mill Central Public Art: Opportunities and Mill Central Public Art: Making it Happen.

Mill Central is located at Petrie, a 45-minute drive north of Brisbane, and is a Priority Development Area (PDA). The Mill PDA is approximately 460 hectares and is located within the suburbs of Petrie, Kallangur and Lawnton. The primary purpose of the PDA is to facilitate economic revitalisation for the Moreton Bay region.

The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) Moreton Bay campus will be an anchor development within the PDA, acting as a catalyst for achieving this objective. The USC will be Australia’s newest university campus in the heart of Moreton Bay.  Opening at Petrie in early 2020, the campus will offer world-class study opportunities for residents in the region.

The PDA also provides the opportunity to fast track delivery of transit-oriented development in the existing Petrie town centre and land adjacent to or in proximity of Kallangur and Lawnton stations.

MBRC responded very encouragingly to the place themes we suggested and our approach with experimenting with nature, along with some highly participatory creative interventions. It commented that: The themes and opportunities have captured our imaginations and elevated our vision for what we can achieve. The report will be referred to as we navigate and decide on our next steps.

MBRC is at the beginning of what will be an exciting public art program for The Mill. Our sincere thanks to Paul Cunningham, Project Director and Naomi Spooner, Coordinator Community & Cultural Programs, Community Services, Sport & Recreation who oversaw the collaborative process and led a very engaging exchange between colleagues to lift everyone’s imagination for public art at this site and more broadly in the region. Special thanks to Amy Grey, Leanne Kelly, Alex Wisniowiecka, and Wes Mortensen for exploring some great ideas with us.

It was a terrific opportunity working with a highly engaged client with a very collaborative spirit. It was so encouraging to explore some ambitious ideas within the parameters of the specific requirements of the brief. We are very optimistic for the future of The Mill and broader public art initiatives within the MBRC region. Thanks also to other MBRC colleagues who also contributed: Mark McCormack; Robyn Moffat; Cherylynn Taylor; Elissa McConaghy; and David Hood.