The enduring sight of Cape Byron Lighthouse will be replicated in a bespoke artwork on the new roundabout taking shape on Ewingsdale Rd, highlighting the main entrance to Byron Bay.
Byron Shire Council is commissioning the artwork which will be built on the new roundabout at Bayshore Drive.
Chair of the council’s Public Art Panel, Cr Sarah Ndiaye, said the sculpture will be ‘a breathtaking welcome to Byron Bay’.
‘This is a significant project that reflects some of the creativity, history and natural beauty of this area,’ Cr Ndiaye said.
‘The artist, Corey Thomas, will be installing a 12-metre high piece that will see a silhouette of the lighthouse through thousands of stainless steel birds,’ she said.
In June this year Council called for Expressions of Interest from artists to create a piece of work on the new roundabout.
‘The application from Corey Thomas was impressive and the Public Art Panel agreed unanimously on its selection and we are confident it will soon be recognised as something that is unique to this area,’ Cr Ndiaye said.
‘The budget for this installation is $55,000 and represents Council’s biggest investment in public art, a key deliverable in Council’s recently adopted Public Art Strategy.
‘Hopefully this is the first of many substantial public artworks for the Byron Shire,’ she said.
Construction continues
Meanwhile traffic flows on Ewingsdale Road will change in mid September as the construction of the roundabout moves into the next stage.
Access to Bayshore Drive will only be available for vehicles travelling into town.
Traffic coming from Byron Bay will have use the Sunrise Boulevard roundabout or Banksia Street.
Motorists leaving the Arts and Industrial Estate will all need to go via Banksia Street or the Sunrise Boulevard roundabout.
Infrastructure services director Phil Holloway apologised for the inconvenience but said council would be ‘doing everything we can to ensure this job is completed as quickly as possible’.
The new $5.6 million Bayshore Drive roundabout is being funded by the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions’ fund. It is expected to be open before Christmas.
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