When the Country Music Festival comes to town each year around January, things change in Tamworth. For a start the population of 60,000 almost doubles, so the local council identified flexibility as a key aspect of street furniture in major public places.
As part of a $4.5 million upgrade to the town’s Fitzroy Street mall, Tamworth sought to add a touch of green, and a degree of portability.
Furphy Foundry supplied the answer in the shape of eight Square Planter Boxes, which have since been planted with beautiful Chinese Elm trees.
Though made mostly of pre-cast concrete, the Planter Boxes can still be moved around the mall with a forklift – which was done in January to accommodate the larger crowds at the music festival.
Nathan Bartlett, Land Use Planner at the Tamworth Regional Council said the Planter Boxes met the council’s requirements perfectly.
“The purpose of the planter boxes was to hold trees large enough to provide an impact in the streetscape and blend in with the existing street furniture. They also needed to be at a suitable capacity so they could be easily removable with the combined weight.
“Council is very happy with the high-quality product and the staff were extremely helpful in executing the design brief throughout the process.”
The concrete pre-cast pot is contained with galvanised iron leg and baseplates, clad with select hardwood timber rails and topped with stainless steel flashing. Due to the weight of the Planter Boxes (around 500 kg empty), they also serve as a barrier for unwanted or hostile vehicle access.
Other features of the Fitzroy Mall upgrade include a new Wi-Fi system, CCTV, drinking water stations and various street furniture.
