COUNTRY MUSIC CROWDS INSPIRE PLANTER BOXES

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 mostly made of precast 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 that 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,” Council said in a statement.

The concrete precast 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 500kg empty), they also serve as a barrier for unwanted or hostile vehicle access.

Other features of the Fitzroy Mall upgrade include a new wifi system, CCTV, drinking water stations and various street furniture.