Grounded in K’gari

Cottee Parker, in association with Bloc Design, partnered with Fraser Coast Regional Council to shape a new civic and community anchor for Hervey Bay. The project brings together a regional library, Customer Service Centre, Council chambers, administration, community rooms, public space and disaster resilience functions within one connected destination.

The design begins with Country, water and the protective role of K’gari. Four ideas — water, rock, oasis and cliff — are translated into architectural form. The ground plane opens like a water-worn passage, creating a sheltered gateway to the park. The lower civic form takes cues from coastal rock and sand formations, while a planted upper terrace becomes a shaded civic retreat. At the corner of Main Street and Torquay Road, the tower creates a clear marker within the city centre.

Flexibility sits at the centre of the plan. The library, Council chambers, Disaster Resilience Centre, meeting rooms, terrace and plaza accommodate changing patterns of use throughout the day and evening.

The Disaster Resilience Centre can move into stand-up mode for emergency response coordination before returning to meeting, training and community use. The Council chambers similarly support formal Council activities and broader public events, with adjoining pre-function areas, storage and kitchen facilities planned to support efficient changeover.

The regional library was conceived as more than a place for books. Its interiors support technology, creativity, culture and discovery across different ages, interests and abilities.

Tiered seating, community displays and flexible exhibition areas allow the library to change with different programs and create new experiences across repeated visits. Active and social areas are balanced with spaces for quieter use, while adaptable furniture and open planning support storytelling, workshops, exhibitions, group learning and community events without limiting everyday library activities.

The upper levels provide a hybrid, activity-based workplace supporting approximately 360 Council employees. Collaborative and social settings transition through shared work areas into quieter focus zones, allowing different working styles to coexist across the floorplate. Open and adaptable planning enables departments to expand, contract and reorganise over time, providing capacity for future growth without relying on fixed offices or permanent departmental boundaries.

The staff café forms a central social anchor for employees and can also support the Council chambers and adjoining pre-function spaces when community activities and events are held. The result is a workplace designed not only around where people sit, but around how they focus, collaborate and contribute to a shared organisational culture.

Across the project, architecture, interiors, landscape, access and security work together to create a civic building that reflects the Fraser Coast, supports regional resilience and strengthens the Hervey Bay city centre.