Busselton Local Government, with the support of WA State funding, has undertaken a major upgrade of its foreshore. The development included new dedicated sporting and youth precincts, green spaces with outdoor shower and drinking fountain units, playgrounds, a restaurant promenade, a skate board park and expanded car parking facilities.
The upgrade commenced with the restoration of its iconic jetty, which was reopened to the public in 2011. Since then, re-development has taken place through a series of staged upgrades and is now nearing completion. Current works are focused on the central core area which will provide a community hub, complete with an adventure playground and amphitheatre. 
The final result will be a world-class beach experience for both visitors and locals of all age groups. 
The precinct is already proving a hit with visitors, with a record number of summer crowds in 2018 despite the fact that construction of some parts is still incomplete.
“Feedback from residents, visitors and tourism providers has been overwhelmingly positive,” says the City of Busselton Mayor, Grant Henley. “We are very excited to be embarking on the development of the central core area which will provide a focal hub for families and community gatherings and connect the foreshore to the town centre.” 
The ambitious development program has given rise to new collaborations with manufacturers in the design and supply of key infrastructure. One such example is Australian manufacturing company, CIVIQ, whose team worked with Busselton staff to design and manufacture the unique Aquafil outdoor FlexiShower units installed along the foreshore. 
The Busselton development features ten of the new FlexiShowers, which are customised to include drinking fountain basins, bottle refill nozzles, dog drinking bowls and wayfinding graphics.
“We developed a unique outdoor solution for Busselton that integrates shower, timer-tap and hand wash functionalities – as well as inbuilt signage panels,” explains Danny Brookes, specifications manager at CIVIQ. 
The product is manufactured in Sydney using electro-polished stainless steel that helps prevent “tea-stain” blemishes, particularly in beach locations.
“It’s great for coastal areas as the product is designed to withstand the salty conditions. They are a very robust design – they’re built to last,” explains Brookes.
The product incorporates graphics on the front panels that help communicate the product’s functionalities to first-time users. 
“Now that a number of the showers are installed, we’re working with the council to further refine the design, including enhanced drainage options and the addition of filters to address the high lime content in the water,” Brookes continues. 
“It is really satisfying to see the public interacting with the final product, and a great project to be a part of. Busselton waterfront is well and truly a world-class precinct.”
Client: Busselton Council
Location: Busselton waterfront precinct, Western Australia
Installation date: December 2017
Lead Landscape Architect: Bruce Thomas
Shower specified: Aquafil FlexiShower
Drinking fountain bubbler specified: Aquafil FlexiFountain
Drinking Fountain & Outdoor Shower supplier: CIVIQ
