During April to June 2025 we asked our community to complete a resident and business survey. Over the last few years, whilst Activating Bridgewater was forming, we have held several community meetings and forums. We know you all have lots of ideas… but we wanted a deeper understanding of where our community is at, what to prioritise, and evidence we can use for grant applications and advocacy. Thank you to the 80 people who responded and shared their thoughts and ideas about their community.
Our key takeaways from this question are for Activating Bridgewater to continue delivering and supporting events, pursue township beautification projects, and continue advocating for improved infrastructure in our community.
“Perhaps an annual fair or something similar on the oval?”
“forget a business directory – they don’t work and are impossible to keep up to date.”
“projects to beautify and improve facilities around the playground and oval”
“Would like to establish a café culture in Bridgewater”
We asked our community for their thoughts on what Activating Bridgewater could do, or advocate for, to ensure Bridgewater is a great place to grow up.
Responses to this question focused on supporting young people to be physically active, advocating for safe walking and cycle trails, and supporting the delivery of fun events.
“Expanding paths, trails, outdoor activities etc. Making Bridgewater an active township.”
“Better and safer traffic / pedestrian management on Carey Gully Road.”
“Fun events for tweens and a safe place for them to hangout they can reach by bike etc.”
“Take over the lease on the Mill and let the youth run it, or the Cog. I think young people need to design their own spaces, and we could support with funding and safety etc.”
Unsurprisingly, our community is very happy living in Bridgewater. The natural environment and strong sense of community are the key reasons why. We would have to say we agree. Below are some comments giving more depth to peoples’ thoughts:
“This is the best community in the world. It's an incredible privilege to live in a place of such natural beauty, surrounded by people who feel so connected to each other and this space.”
“The nature and the life for me and my dog”.
“A nice sized community, close enough to the city, but with the Hills environment. The biggest issue is the graffiti vandalism”.
“Less investment from Hills Council makes it feel like the poor cousin of Aldgate, Stirling, Crafers”
The last question in the survey asked for general comments on Activating Bridgewater’s areas of for action, being amenity, infrastructure, environment, and economy. Common themes included:
Focus on ‘cleaning up’ the township (n=7)
Focus on the natural environment (n=6)
Focus on paths and trails (n=5)
Open spaces suitable for all generations (n=4)
Activate Bridgewater Mill (n=3)
Roads and curbing (n=3)
A roundabout for Mount Barker Rd/ Carey Gully Rd intersection (n=3)
A masterplan for the township (n=2)
Though there are many active bushcare and environmental groups in Bridgewater, we are hearing that our community is keen for Activating Bridgewater to also have a role in protecting and supporting our natural environment. The comments below demonstrate so many opportunities for improvement across our township.
“There used to be toilets in the Mount George park, so it shouldn't be too hard to put them back and rectify a really bad decision that was taken long ago. It is such an under-used resource as part of a beautiful walk from the Mill.”
“I love the work being done to rehabilitate Cox Creek.”
Remove advertising signage at the intersection of mount barker road and the oval. Unappealing and makes the welcome into Bridgewater ugly and untidy.
“Advocate for the Council to do a Bridgewater Precinct/Master plan, ensuring that a long-term vision for the area is endorsed by council with buy in on actions and priorities, as well as funding … This could include entrance statements, greening, the preservation of the built and natural heritage as well as improvements to the main intersection, bicycle network, crossings and footpath improvements. A council endorsed masterplan or precinct plan will support future improvements and add value to advocate to state government for funding or infrastructure improvements.”
“Addressing the empty Mill should be a priority. The coffee shop there made the playground an even more attractive destination and kept people in Bridgey rather than having to go to Stirling or Hahndorf. It's such an icon of our town, it's depressing having it sit empty.”
“Make better use of the green lawn area around the Bridgewater community hall for teen hangout areas, skate ramp? Bike jumps? Perhaps put in some exercise equipment as well for older people to use while they go on their daily walks.”
“Amenity - Would love to see more investment in the Oval precinct, particularly the eastern side carpark area. This could be associated with a masterplan for the Bridgewater town centre to jazz up the place. There should be at least one pedestrian crossing/refuge across Mt Barker Road in the centre to promote pedestrian connection across the suburb.”
What’s Next?
Acting on these ideas will be a combination of advocacy, chipping away slowly, grant applications, partnerships, and many volunteer hours. We won’t be able to achieve everything - but we’ll do our bit, that’s for sure.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with us. You are always welcome to email us with your thoughts, or write a comment below.
