Balclutha to do-up main street

Balclutha is to do up its main street, at a cost of $2.6 million.

After debating the project on and off for 30 years, Clutha District Council is moving to brighten the street and give motorists on State Highway One an incentive to stop.

Balclutha people say the main street is tired and drab, and crying out for colour and modernisation.

Mayor Brian Cadogan said the main strip has not changed since he was a boy and that is why most people pass through without stopping.

Ideas for the street include undergrounding the power lines, re-doing the pavements, creating seating areas and using timber and concrete to create forest outlines.