Trade College helps Birkdale Community Precinct become reality

AITC students may be developing virtual ideas for Birkdale Community Precinct, but they are based in a real-world interest in partnering with Redland City Council as it delivers the largest and most diverse community project ever for the city.

A team of four Year 10 Australian Industry Trade College (AITC) Redlands campus students have been working on a VR program as part of Council’s pilot partnerships program for Birkdale Community Precinct (BCP).

Redland City Deputy Mayor Julie Talty dropped in on one of the trade college’s workshops this week and was impressed by the students’ work.

“This really is an excellent opportunity for the college to literally be part of the reality that is Birkdale Community Precinct,” Cr Talty said.

“The students’ project is focussed on the college’s future use of the precinct for multiple subjects – such as excursions, learning about Redlands pioneers and World War II history, as well as design of built form, landscape, playgrounds, agriculture and so on.

“Having the youth of Redlands Coast involved in this precinct’s creation has been an important and satisfying achievement for Council and the community.

“What I am particularly impressed with is how the work of these students will be carried forward by and for future student years.”

AITC Team Leader Erin Zammit said the students – William Palmer, Joshua Weeks, Devlin Burrows-Andrews and Hudson Vella – had learnt how to use a virtual reality program and then uploaded the BCP fly-through video, made additions and set it up in its own room on display.

“What they decided to do was to use VR to educate the rest of the student body on the benefits of the BCP to the whole school,” Ms Zammit said.

“So the idea is that from next year and ongoing into the future, if for example the students are asked to design a community space on their computer for an assignment, they design, then insert it on to the VR fly-through, they then can see how it looks in the overall site.

“This is very helpful for the BCP as it means that young people are not only aware, but also engaged with the BCP. For them, it means they can visualise exactly how their designs might work in its environment.

“This mutual benefit obviously has a positive knock on effect for employment in Redlands.

“On a more subtle level, it has the social benefit of increased self-esteem as the students feel connected to an exciting, vibrant project that they and their friends will enjoy.”

The AITC team is one of nine groups developing projects for the Birkdale Community Partnerships Program. The others are:

Bayside District Amateur Radio Society (interactive radio communications) Redland Bayside Child & Family Support Hub / Playgroup Qld (ecology-based activities) EcoUnity (observation tower proposal) Redland Museum (theatrical presentation) Rotary Club of Cleveland (recycling and sustainability) TRACTION (bicycle recycling and youth empowerment) Wellington Point State High School (visual art) Wynnum Redlands Canoe Club (fitness, recreation and celebrating Tingalpa Creek)

Several of the groups will be presenting their projects in Cleveland Library Square, Middle Street Cleveland, this Sunday, 5 June from 9am.

Meanwhile, time is running out in the current opportunity for the community to have its say on the Draft Birkdale Community Precinct (BCP) Master Plan with consultation closing at midnight on Monday, 6 June 2022.

 HAVE YOUR SAY:

For more information of the Draft BCP Master Plan go to: yoursay.redland.qld.gov.au where you can complete the online survey and go into the draw to win one of five $100 gift cards. The website also has updates as to how you can meet and talk to the Project Team behind this precinct.