Special treatment for bus shelter

A bus shelter in Taylor St, Woy Woy Bay, has received special treatment as part of a community project to beautify the area.

The project was organised by two local artists in conjunction with local children and youth as an attempt to reduce graffiti problems at the bus shelter.

The group met in the Bays Community Hall on Saturday afternoons to work on paintings to be installed at the shelter.

The paintings are an impression of Woy Woy Bay.

A member of the group, Ms Mary-Anne Millington, said: "Since we started painting the actual shelter, the community has come together."

"It's really brought the community together.

"Some of the feedback has been amazing.

"The project has really lifted people's spirits, not that we're usually depressed, living in such a beautiful spot.

"Some older people felt a bit negative about the youth in the area, due to graffiti and so forth.

"But this has proved it's just a very small element and not the majority.

"The bus shelter is where the youth have always hung out at Woy Woy Bay, so now at least it's a nice spot until we get the walkway to connect us to Phegans Bay and the community hall moved down onto the waterfront.

"In the meantime, we'd like to challenge all the other communities on the coast to paint their own bus shelters.

"This is the sort of quirky thing that unites communities and inspires both young and old.

"It might even increase the value of properties because people will want to live where the neighbours are nice."

Ms Millington also said she would like to thank Cr Lynne Bockholt for "green-lighting" the project and Campbells Home Hardware for supplying paint and materials.

Carl Spears, October 17