Community made artworks for local bushfire recovery

9 February 2022

Three beautiful public art pieces are being commissioned as a memorial to the 2019-2020 bushfires and to honour those who risked so much to keep the Hawkesbury community safe.

The artworks, to be created in close partnership with community members of Bilpin, Colo Heights and the Macdonald Valley (St Albans), will be installed as part of the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery projects that are currently underway.

Residents are being invited to special community events to design and paint an artwork, which will be transferred to a tile to be glazed, fired and installed on a special wall, the Mayor of Hawkesbury, Patrick Conolly said.

“This will be a powerful way for the community to take ownership of these artworks and make them a personal expression of their experiences of recovery and rejuvenation that will last for generations to view, understand and remember,” Mayor Conolly said.

Community art workshops dates

Bilpin                   Community Hall (Bilpin Markets)               Saturday, 12 February from 10am to midday

St Albans            St Albans Park                                             Sunday, 13 February from 9am to midday

Colo Heights      Community Hall                                           Thursday, 24 February from 4pm to 7pm

For more information, see Council’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/hawkesburycitycouncil and Council’s website www.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au and Your Hawkesbury Your Say at

www.yourhawkesbury-yoursay.com.au

Work is also underway on other projects in the Hawkesbury made possible through the Bushfire

Local Economic Recovery Fund. $1.68 million is available to fund projects which will help to support the ongoing bushfire recovery in Bilpin, Colo Heights and the Macdonald Valley (including St Albans).

The new playground at St Albans is now finished, work has commenced on the playground in Bilpin, and work is due to start on the multi sports court at Colo Heights in February. Council is also making improvements to the Rural Fire Service sheds and community halls in these locations, including the St Albans School of Arts, with the majority of work scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2022.

The Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Package is part of the $4.5 billion overarching bushfire support program co-funded by the Australian and NSW Governments for bushfire recovery, response and preparedness across NSW. Visit Council’s homepage www.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au and follow Council on Facebook at hawkesburycitycouncil for regular updates on these projects.