Beach Road, Christies Beach

The City of Onkaparinga worked closely with Clover Green Space to deliver streetscape improvements for the Christies Beach precinct, an emerging tourist hotspot for Adelaide.

As part of the Christies Beach Tourism Action Plan, four nodes were identified for development following engagement with local businesses, landowners and visitors.

The nodes provide new opportunities for outdoor dining after a quick dip at the beach and include permanent seating, landscaping, street trees and lighting.

“It began as a tourism initiative, to have people linger on Beach Road,” says Nathan Farnell, Coordinator of Community Centre & Strategic Projects for City of Onkaparinga. 

The furniture and colour selection has modernised the gritty beach suburb. Linea Cubes, Seats, Benches, Lookout Bar Tables, Cafe Bar Stools and Linea Tables were specified in Jaybird Blue paired with aluminium Spotted Gum battens. 

Outside Beach Road Pizza is South Australia’s first ChillOUT Tree in Sensation Orange – specified with USB and general charging ports. Its champagne perforated roof panels provide dappled shading for diners.

Commenting on the choice of furniture, Senior Landscape Architect, Niveta Chawla from Clover Green Space says she really liked its sleekness. “We didn’t want a big, heavy structure here. The idea was to introduce colour and a sleek design to fit in well with the node.”

Council also liked the accessibility of the furniture. “The Linea furniture suite established a consistent street character but also, importantly, a variety of seating options to cater for a mix of users,” says Farnell.

Local hospitality establishments are delighted with the improvements. Owner of Beach Road Pizza, Blake, said “Where it was previously a bit more of a takeaway vibe, people now sit and eat food here. People walk up from the beach in their towels and bathers for lunch, then head back to the beach.

“The ChillOUT Tree has been a great conversation starter for a lot of people,” Blake adds.