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Mackay residents are clutching onto memories of their bustling city heart with many passionate about how it could thrive once more.
South Mackayâs Roxanne McKenzie said she felt âreally stronglyâ about the issue, asking: âWhat are we doing to bring people here?â
âItâs sad, I have to say, I grew up here and it used to be the hub of the city,â Ms McKenzie said.
She said the council had to seriously consider treasuring the historical buildings, and proposed commercial landlords let pop-ups open for free, albeit temporarily, to liven retail trade. South Mackay resident Roxanne McKenzie speaking at Mount Pleasant Centre about what needs to change in the Mackay city centre to bring shoppers back. Picture: Heidi Petith
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Mackayâs major shopping centre is not to blame for an exodus of retailers from the city centre, a retail expert says.
National Retail Association chief executive officer Dominique Lamb said the assertion was a âcop outâ with the real synopsis for the lull of trade in the Mackay CBD a more complex picture.
Ms Lamb said Caneland Central and other shopping centres needed to rejuvenate their offerings every five years to keep customers coming back.
And she said while large investment structures backed centres, they did not have the âauthenticâ ecosystem of strip shops or CBDs that consumers celebrated as âtruly localâ.