Blacksmith Beach Now Open to All, With Accessibility Upgrades Complete

BY KEELY JOHNSON

A $380,000 accessibility upgrade at Blacksmiths Beach means people of all abilities now have the chance to enjoy Lake Macquarie's coastline.

Construction included the installation of an all-access ramp, pathway and viewing platform at the high point of the foredunes, overlooking the water.

Community Planner Ageing and Disability Jennifer Linton-Webb said the works provided beach access to wheelchair and mobility aid users, people with prams and other people who had difficulty walking on soft sand.

“Improving access to beaches and waterways not only helps us achieve that goal – it means people with disability have the chance to enjoy simple pleasures that many people living close to the coast take for granted,” said Jennifer Linton-Webb.

A separate buggy access path to the beach has also been installed, providing access for the wheelchair buggies available to hire free of charge during the beach season.

“One of the key focus areas of our Disability Inclusion Action Plan is creating livable communities for everyone,” said Jennifer Linton-Webb.

The access-ways and viewing platform were made with fiberglass reinforced plastic mesh, designed to withstand the harsh beach environment.

    

          Wheelchair user Angela Barry at Blacksmiths Beach new all-access ramp.

A Trio of Murals Will be Installed at Redhead Beach As Part of Lake Macquarie Council's Smart Beaches Project

BY KEELY JOHNSON

A trio of murals are set to be installed at Redhead Beach as part of the world-first Smart Beaches Project.

The artworks by local artist Daniel Joyce depict Redhead beach and incorporate new technology that provides real-time beach conditions and other data generated by Smart Beaches devices.

The largest mural will be featured on the local Surf Lifesaving Club's storage shed, highlighting Redhead’s iconic shark tower and cliffs, and Lake Macquarie City Council lifeguards.

The Smart Beaches Project Manager Tony Blunden said the murals would provide an enduring representation of a pioneering trial led by Lake Macquarie Council.

“Daniel’s art provides a really striking depiction of the beach, and the integration of a digital screen is a nod to the technology integral to the Smart Beaches project,” he said.

Lake Macquarie Council has partnered with Northern Beaches Council, University of Technology Sydney and more than a dozen other industry groups, trialing technology at Redhead Beach and Blacksmiths Beach to help improve public safety, improve user amenity and assist professional lifeguards.

“We’re now in the process of reporting back on the trial, and assessing the viability of scaling it up to roll out this kind of technology at other beaches along Australia’s coast,”said Tony Blunden.

The project received $910,000 in funding under the Australian Government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs Program, which included an allocation of funding for a permanent artwork at one of the trial beaches.

Installation of the three murals is expected to be complete by the end of the week and all artworks are set to provide a striking welcome for visitors. 

Artist Daniel Joyce and Smart Beaches Project Manager Tony Blunden with the main mural

Lake Macquarie Company Sirron Group Shifts to Produce Hand Sanitiser During the Covid-19 Pandemic

BY KEELY JOHNSON

Local Lake Macquarie company Sirron Group has made the shift from producing commercial dishwashers and cleaning products to hand sanitiser, during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

With increasing stress on the hospitality industry due to isolation restrictions, the company had to rapidly adapt to continue operating.

"We were watching what was happening to hospitality in other parts of the world and it would mean our revenue would stop when the virus impacted Australia," said Sirron Managing Director Greg Gates.

The company noticed the critical shortage of - and growing need for- health supplies and made the decision to stop creating dishwashers to produce hand sanitiser instead.

"We had a small mixing and filling plant for the production of  chemicals for cleaning products and it was evident that if we didn't change to create something that was going to help, we were in trouble," said Greg Gates.

Sirron’s 30 staff members, many of whom are trained in welding and other trades, have shifted their focus to producing hand sanitiser, saving their jobs in the process.

The Caves Beach facility is now operating 20 hours a day, churning out about 1500 litres of hand sanitiser every hour, however, demand still far outstrips supply and the company has had to put on an extra seven staff members to cope with the high demand for the product.  

"More people are using hand sanitiser than ever before... We have focused on local households and business first in the Hunter, and are shipping across Australia everyday...The team really gets that they are making a difference," said Greg Gates.

A Sirron worker filling and labeling hand sanitiser bottles.