By Darren Coyne
A Lismore councillor is set to renew a push to install a ‘rainbow pedestrian crossing’ to celebrate the city’s diversity.
Greens councillor Adam Guise has lodged a notice of motion for next week’s council meeting calling on the council to investigate installing a rainbow crossing in the central business district.
Cr Guise wants the council to consult with the community about the site and design of the crossing in order to ‘maximise community engagement and ownership of the crossing’.
However, if past experience is anything to go by, Cr Guise’s motion is expected to hit a major hurdle … namely the NSW Minister of Roads.
Back in 2013, the former mayor Jenny Dowell also had a crack at having a rainbow crossing installed.
The push followed the installation of a temporary rainbow crossing in Oxford Street, Sydney, which was created as part of the 35th anniversary celebrations of the Sydney Mardi Gras.
That crossing was removed because of safety concerns, but its removal led to community protests and internet activism.
Pictures of chalk rainbow crossings from many places around the world appeared on social media including Paris, Shanghai, Pretoria, Thailand and Cambodia … and Lismore.
In a comment to Cr Guise’s motion, the manager of assets Scott Turner has said that staff had consulted the Roads and Maritime Service about installing a rainbow crossing.
The response was not positive.
‘RMS has indicated that installation of any pedestrian facility needs to be in accordance with the relevant Australian Standard,’ Mr Turner said.
‘The objectives of these standards is to ensure consistency and uniformity in their installation and use and therefore avoid confusion and potentially unsafe interaction between pedestrians and vehicles.
‘A rainbow style pedestrian crossing does not meet relevant standards.’
Mr Turner has suggested that the council might like to investigate other options such as giving the ‘rainbow treatment’ to footpaths, street furniture or light poles.
Cr Guise’s motion will be discussed at the council meeting next Tuesday.
How do you paint a pothole?
YES PLEASE to a Lismore adorned with rainbows (it’s the region’s iconic symbol). Probably not worth fighting with “regulations” as it’s a costly and time consuming dead end street. Love the idea of footpaths glowing with colour (what a lift for the streetscape – there are so many new “surfaces” available that non-slip, durable & colourful options abound). Bit of complementary street art wouldn’t go astray (a curated extension of the existing laneway project), even the odd ceramic or mosaic plaque … heck, why not a few large scale sculptures (a fluid kinetic sculpture by the river would be great – a 21st century update of Calder with a local twist). If there’s any funds available for street furniture, Council could commission some coloured concrete benches or seats (Fremantle has concrete overstuffed sofas by an old artist friend of mine – a jeweller turned welder who now adores industrial materials – public art is a “skill building” enterprise … perfect way to involve teaching institutions like TAFE). Thanks for putting this back on the agenda Cr Guise. Sounds like Council needs to redraw their Art in Public Spaces policy (you need a consulting curator – perhaps a post grad student from SCU or the like). With the new gallery underway new public spaces are emerging that need a strong artistic dimension. As Jenny Dowell kicked off this concept … why not include an “art monument” celebrating her wonderful leadership and achievements for the city? Seems that this part of Oz, being so creative, would look good dressed in rainbow colours rather than yellow brick – it’s even more magic than the Emerald City.