The Truth and Beauty Committee oversees the development and beautification of the Community Centre grounds, gardens and infrastructure. Its members are comprised of NCCI Committee and staff members, as well as the broader Nimbin community. As the Community Centre’s assets have grown, so has the scope of the Committee to include Birth and Beyond and 11a Alternative Way.
Aims
The Truth and Beauty Committee aims to reflect the diversity and vibrancy of Nimbin’s community across NCCI’s assets through the development of its gardens, grounds and infrastructure. Members are working to de-institutionalise the original school site and to ensure that the space is user friendly and welcoming to visitors. Truth and Beauty aim to guide the development of NCCI sites in line with overarching community ethos and design principals and to ensure that the broader community remains interested and engaged with the many facets of NCCI. They strive to identify risks across NCCI’s sites, to make recommendations to the NCCI committee and develop plans for NCCI committee approval. Through their ongoing commitment and work, Truth and Beauty aims to facilitate future funding opportunities for essential upgrades and to ensure a sense of community ownership through inviting involvement across NCCI’s sites.
Considerations
Truth and Beauty consider the heritage and historical aspects of the former school site and ensure any changes enhance both its appearance and functionality. The Committee identifies cost saving measures and ensures NCCI is getting the best bang for our buck when considering quality landscape and infrastructure upgrades to attract and increase community participation in the space. Truth and Beauty considers the best quality materials for each project, be it walkways, driveway access or new infrastructure builds, and which elements can be used across projects to achieve a consistent design aesthetic for NCCI assets. Truth and Beauty strive to enhance Indigenous engagement with NCCI and have strong links with, and voices that represent the Wiabal Cultural Centre. Together they have developed an authentic Acknowledgement of Country, engaged in consultation regarding proposed construction projects and implemented dual-language signs and local Indigenous artwork for NCCI’s sites that reflect the local Bundjalung culture.
Projects
The Truth and Beauty Committee are an active component of NCCI with many projects underway and in the works. Some projects that have planned and executed to date include:
Sticks and Stones Sculpture Exhibition
Quadrangle development
Development of water infrastructure- storage and stormwater options, storm gardens
Improving signage onsite
Removal of old school fences to open-up the space
A garden plan to increase indigenous plants and identify species for a garden walk
Developing the market area
Improving disability access on site
Climate chaos planning - water infrastructure, planting lists, shade
We acknowledge the Widjabul people of the Bundjalung Nation as the traditional custodians of this land on which we live and work.
The Community Centre has had a long held ambition to develop the Centre grounds into a cohesive, welcoming and attractive space. The committee decided last year that we needed to get in a professional to assist with the process. We received great news from the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal, Strengthening Rural Communities Program, that our application for $2800 of funds to hire a landscape architect to develop a comprehensive and costed grounds plan had been approved. This plan will enable the Centre to apply for further funding to develop our grounds over time and in line with our vision.
