References to McLeod’s Daughters could be dropped from Freeling signage. PHOTO: Ellouise Crawford
TOURISM signage across the towns of Greenock, Freeling and Kapunda, is set for a refresh, after an audit found existing infrastructure inconsistent, outdated and in need of major overhaul.
The ‘tourism signage and wayfinding audit’ was carried out independently by ESD Planning and Design and made several suggestions for the region, including dropping references to McLeod’s Daughters at Freeling, and using Barossa Tourism branding on any new key directional signage.
“Much of the existing signage within all three townships needs maintenance, removal and consolidation,” the audit states.
“Unfortunately, the majority of signs are in poor condition and often not clearly visible.
“There are a number of key assets within each of the communities which are either not signed at all, or not legible for vehicular traffic.
“As an example the entrance sign into Freeling on Thiele Hwy from the north is broken and not attractive due to the deterioration of the sign and references a TV show which is no longer on air.
“This sign does little to promote the township and should be a priority to replace.
“In addition, whilst it is recognised that the reference to Mcleod’s Daughters television show was invaluable for the promotion of the character of Freeling and consequential tourism, the relevance should be reviewed as part of any new signage design.”
According to a staff report presented to council’s infrastructure committee, council will look to implement the recommendations of the audit over the next 24 months.
The focus will be on removing all signs in poor condition or with limited functionality, replacing signs at key intersections, followed by all other identified signs, and seeking funding for township entrance statements.
The work is expected to be funded using the current maintenance resources and budget, with some of the larger strategic projects becoming a focus for grant funding applications.
Council will also look to schedule regular inspections of its signage so as they can be replaced/fixed before becoming in a poor state.
