The council’s plans for the Brisbane Street Mall were questioned by the Coffee Republic’s Robin Smith at the most recent council meeting, who was concerned about a loss of trade if the works were brought forward.

“Conducting major infrastructure retrofitting works in a CBD location will always present a logistical challenge, but these works are a necessary fact of life and are important to ensure our city is well-positioned for the future,” Mr  Dobrzynski said.

“[The model includes] regular briefings and consultation with business and property owners, a dedicated working group made up of representatives from those groups, and an advertising campaign to support businesses during the works.”

He said the next projects would follow this model and the council planned to consult with mall traders and property owners well in advance of any works.

“We realise that retrofitting an active CBD is always a difficult task. Through constant engagement and communication with traders and the general public, we hope to minimise the disruption. The end result will be a significantly enhanced CBD environment,” he said.

The council hopes to move the mall works forward through a loan from the state government.