New statement art piece The Respect Tree encourages kindness
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A Pandanus Palm will do more than provide green scenery on Farnborough Road after it was installed earlier this month; it has also been planted to act as a reminder to encourage community conversations surrounding respect.
Acting Mayor Nigel Hutton, Councillor Adam Belot, Councillor Pat Eastwood along with Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga and Council’s Youth Mayor Luke Selwood officially opened the statement art piece today located at beach access FB4, where the Respect Tree reflection space was built featuring sandstone seating and words which encourage respect towards yourself, your community and your environment.
A significant feature of the design are handprints of local students, youngsters and associated businesses that donated goods and services to the project from across the Shire and who left their permanent markings in concrete around the base of the tree.
“The Respect Tree was an initiative which came out of Council’s conversations with the community and its ongoing push to prevent and discourage domestic and family violence within our region,” Cr Hutton said.
“However this particular project not only forms part of Council’s ongoing campaign against domestic and family violence, it also takes a broader approach in promoting respect across our entire diverse and multicultural community.
“I encourage residents to drop in and take a look at this wonderful community partnership project in the hope it will inspire you to be respectful in everything you do.
“Council would like to thank the Queensland Government for the funding support towards this project, all of the Council staff involved in bringing this project to fruition, the local businesses who contributed their time and materials, as well as the young people who took part in the handprint process ahead of the tree’s opening.”
Councillor Jan Kelly said showing respect could be as simple as speaking politely to a stranger, or cleaning up your litter following a beach visit, to looking after your own health and wellbeing.
“We can all play our part in showing respect to one another and our surroundings,” Cr Kelly said.
“This leads to a happier, healthier and stronger community, which is vital in creating a positive future for our region.”
The edging surrounding the tree features a world map to reflect our region’s multicultural community, and numerous respect words which have been gathered from community workshops.
These words will also appear in English, Indigenous and South Sea Islander languages.
Visitors will be able to access information on the project via a QR code located at the site.