Adding their dab hand to the drab, Upper Coopers Creek Public School has recently turned a sad bus shelter into a colourful work of art in a project that has involved the whole school – all eight students and two teachers – as well as the wider community.
The new design is influenced by the work of Indigenous artist Bronwyn Bancroft and a T-shirt made by local artist Rose McKinley at the school in the mid-80s.
The shirt featured a linocut print of the palm trees and black cockatoos so prolific in the Upper Coopers Creek catchment, and the students used this as inspiration for their nature and wildlife artwork.
Upper Coopers Creek Public School relieving principal Jen Wright says the shelter was first painted 12 years ago by local school children, and those former students were invited back with their own kids to help with this new project,’ she said.
‘Everyone has said they love it and people have stopped to paint, to clean the shelter, to help out in any way they can.
‘It has been such a positive project and the whole community has been involved. It has really brought everyone together.”
Jen said it was a very happy coincidence when artist Rose McKinley drove past and stopped to add a few hand-painted bees to the artwork.
‘That was just a piece of perfect timing – it was such a nice touch,’ she said. ‘
Like everything has come full circle.’
Ms Wright thanked the community for their enthusiasm for the project as well as Lismore City Council for providing permission and free paint.
‘When we rang Council to ask permission we kind of expected a battle, but they were so supportive of our idea and offered to provide all the painting materials,’ she said.
‘It was so nice to have that support, and to be given all the paint was very generous – we weren’t expecting that!’
Lismore City Council is keen to support any projects that help Council maintain community infrastructure and bring colour and personality to local communities.
If you have an idea or a project you’d like to discuss, phone Council’s Technical Officer Carolyn Moynihan on 1300 87 83 87.
If you can’t beat ‘em…
Staff of NORPA in the downtown Pokemore, uh, I mean Lismore location of City Hall, have spotted community members and families on the Pokemon Go trail congregating nearby to visit the Pokestops located within the building and grounds.
In an effort to ease the Pokecold and avert the Pik-achoos, with people sitting outside on these winter night, NORPA has devised a method to entice them into City Hall to Pokexplore the building and engage with humans of the, um, human variety and take a look inside the theatre.
‘We love to respond to our audience’s passions and as the city’s cultural hub we believe we should be inviting PoGo players in to City Hall to celebrate this social phenomenon,’ said a NORPA operative.
Lismore City Hall will be hosting a PokeParty tonight, Friday July 29, and have invited supportive local businesses to get involved.
NORPA will be supplying Pokelures, Pokeface painting and Pokemon movies on a continuous Pokeloop and Telstra is providing the Pokecharging stations, while Jackson’s Technical Services is supplying the free Pokewi-fi.
Pizza Capers are selling Pokepizza by the slice and we have a drinks and treats kiosk open. There will be indoor and outdoor Poketables set up and we encourage everyone is invited to join the Pokefun.
The best dressed Pokemon player will win two tickets to CIRCA, Il Ritorno.
from 6pm – 9pm
Since the launch of Pokemon Go we have seen a lot of
It was announced yesterday that the Nimbin Community Centre will receive in $14,480 from the NSW Government to grow and promote Aboriginal art and culture in the region.
The Wai:bal Art and Culture Project will include workshops by respected Bundjalung artists and cultural practitioners from across a range of local clan groups.
Audiences will share in regional arts and cultural experiences through exhibitions and public performances at the Wai:bal Aboriginal Cultural Centre.
Thomas George MP visited Nimbin Community Centre yesterday to announce the funding. ‘The NSW Government acknowledges the important role art plays in Aboriginal culture and through the Aboriginal Regional Arts Fund,’ he said. ‘We want to create opportunities for Aboriginal artists, arts workers, communities and audiences.’
Mr George said that the government is proud to invest in a vibrant and distinctive Aboriginal arts and cultural sector, supporting local artists in regional and remote NSW to tell the stories of their communities.
‘Our state is fortunate to have a vast array of Aboriginal artistic talent across art forms including visual art, dance, theatre, literature and music,’ he said.
‘This new project will help Aboriginal artists build on their abilities and talents, boost local economies and encourage a greater appreciation of Aboriginal culture in the broader community.’
What bin day is it again? New recycling app solves that problem
Byron Shire Council has launched a phone app which hopes to take the pain out rubbish collection day by letting you know where you are at with your refuse
Byron Shire Council’s new waste and recycling app, Recycle Coach will make sure you never miss another bin collection day.
But wait! You also get…
The app has special features including a personalised bin collection calendar, custom pick-up reminders, an extensive a-z recycling guide, plus tips for reducing waste and better recycling.
Your phone will send you a reminder for bin day, complete with which bin you should put out, or you can enter your refuse item and the app will let you know which bin to put it in, or where to take it for recycling or disposal.
Byron Shire Council Mayor, Simon Richardson, said it’s a great tool that contains important information, tailored specifically to neighbourhoods, about kerbside waste and recycling services.
‘This is a great platform, and a new way for us to connect directly with the community about our resource recovery programs and services,’ he said.
‘It allows us to send educational messages and event notices directly to people who have the app.’
If you don’t have a smart phone you can also access this information online on Council’s Waste and Recycling web page.
Council will continue provide information on the website, and printed materials such as bin collection calendars and a-z recycling guides will still be available for residents who prefer traditional educational materials.
Recycle Coach can be downloaded for free from the App Store for iPhone or Google play for Android, and select Byron Shire as the location, or view it online at www.byron.nsw.gov.au/recycle-coach.
Sky high inspections keep network reliable
So many years a part of our landscape, powerlines are not a thing we usually take into consideration unless we drive a crane or own a fixed mast yacht, but this important infrastructure needs constant maintenance if you are connected to the electricity grid.
To keep our lines healthy, Essential Energy will take to the sky over the next few months to inspect powerlines and other electrical infrastructure across the Tweed Valley area to capture a detailed picture of the condition of the electricity network.
Starting early next month Essential Energy will use a fixed wing aircraft to fly over the electricity network, taking high resolution digital images and GPS coordinates to record powerline conditions and report areas of concern.
Regional Manager North Coast, Brendon Neyland, said the inspection program was a vital part of Essential Energy’s asset maintenance and helped provide a snapshot of the condition of the electricity network.
‘Essential Energy plans to use specialist imaging technology to inspect the pole top condition of 220,264 power poles across 31,018 kilometres this year, including areas with dense vegetation, rocky outcrops, cliffs and steep mountains where ground-based assessment can be difficult,’ he said.
‘Aerial imagery helps identify if vegetation is encroaching on powerlines and when pole top hardware is damaged or ageing at an accelerated rate.
Leyland also says that taking to the air also provides fast and effective ways to view network assets without the need to enter private properties and inconvenience customers.
Once an issue with the network is identified, Essential Energy will contact the landholder and organise crews to attend the site and undertake any necessary repairs.
Owners of sensitive animals should contact Essential Energy on 13 23 91 to organise a call advising of the fly over so that alternative arrangements can be made prior to the aerial inspections.
Follow Essential Energy on Facebook and Twitter for updates on aerial patrols or visit: essentialenergy.com.au/aerialinspection for further information.
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