I am pleased to announce the Australian Government has today released the Landscape Masterplan for Christmas Island’s Flying Fish Cove, providing a shared community vision for the future of this important area.
Number: A23/2021
Date: 27 May 2021
I am pleased to announce the Australian Government has today released the Landscape Masterplan for Christmas Island’s Flying Fish Cove, providing a shared community vision for the future of this important area.
In the Our Christmas Island, 2030 Strategic Plan, the community recognised the importance of the Cove as Christmas Island’s commercial, industrial, tourist and residential hub, and recommended the development of a long-term vision to support and explore the Cove’s many opportunities for future growth and development.
Following extensive community engagement on-island in 2020, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (the department), and its consultants Manteena and Oxigen, have developed the landscape master plan for the area.
The landscape masterplan will be a live document, reflecting the views and aspirations of the community and offering an evolving pathway forward to increase Flying Fish Cove’s usability for all groups and Christmas Island’s future directions.
I would like to thank all who have been involved for their hard work and dedication to developing this plan, with particular acknowledgement of the community for your invaluable support and input, ensuring the future of Flying Fish Cove is designed for – and by – the people of Christmas Island.
The Flying Fish Cove Landscape Master Plan informed capital works will be delivered using a staged approach over a number of years, subject to future Government funding processes. These works were identified through extensive community consultation. Initial works include new foreshore replanting (including removal of the existing casuarina trees), removal of the ‘koppers logs’, new crab motive rubbish bins, new school lockers located in the Cove for swimming lessons and remediation of the boat ramp. Delivery of these initial works is planned throughout 2021.
I, along with the Australian Government, will continue to work in partnership with you to realise the initiatives of the Our Christmas Island, 2030 Strategic Plan, in support of the long-term economic potential of our beautiful Island.
The plan is available here: https://www.regional.gov.au/territories/christmas/projects/flying-fish-cove.aspx
Natasha Griggs
Administrator of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands