Cooroy residents and visitors will have noticed an increasing buzz of activity in and around the Cooroy Lower Mill Site recently.
After more than eight years in the planning, Cooroy’s ‘state of the art’ library is one step closer following Council’s recent announcement that Hutchinson Builders were awarded the construction contract.
Local division 12 Councillor Lew Brennan said the new library will be completed and open to the public by the end of the year, weather permitting.
Also, work placement participants of a Queensland Government funded Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative are currently working on the other side of the creek. This project is being managed by council and is aimed at enhancing employment opportunities for members of the community through up-skilling.
There are currently four workers and a supervisor laying pavers around the kilns and boiler house. This project is also demonstrating resource recovery, with the pavers being a combination of left over Hastings Street pavers and signed community pavers.
There are two artworks projects underway at the Mill Site. In a joint project between council and the Arts Queensland’s art+place program, public art for Mill Place has been commissioned from Sunshine Coast artists Glen Manning and Kathy Daly.
The concept around their artwork incorporates the bunya leaf and red cedar flowers providing a connection to the environment, heritage and indigenous aspects of Cooroy and the broader hinterland.
“There is also currently a council Creative Histories Project being run in a partnership between the Butter Factory Arts Centre and the Day Respite Centre” Cr Brennan said.
Under the guidance of local artists Susie Blue and Mal Butterworth, this project will culminate in a ceramic artwork which will be installed at the boiler house entrance.
“Many of the participants involved in this project have a connection to the Noosa hinterland region and their input will result in an artwork that not only records our history but is also reflective of the mill and the region,” Cr Brennan said.
This project is progressing well with the planning, design and research stages completed and the connective stories currently being transferred into visual images for the mosaic.
“All of this activity is helping to secure Cooroy as a major hinterland centre which is part of Council’s plan for the region. A large part of this is due to the commitment of the community and in particular, the Lower Mill Board” Cr Brennan said.