Festival to embrace all of Coal Creek

COAL Creek’s lower park has undergone extensive rejuvenation since being fenced off to the public last year and is ready for people to enjoy during the upcoming Southern Lights Festival.

The initial focus was to make the area safe, with arborists removing fallen and dangerous trees, Coal Creek Community Park and Museum team leader Kim O’Connell said.

Some of those trees were severely damaged by a large storm a couple of years ago. 

The last three years have also seen higher than average rainfall, especially over summer months and this has all had an impact on the lower park, with Kim explaining it did damage including covering the old roadway with sludge, something the new works have rectified.

Weed spraying and brush cutting were carried out along the park’s 1.6 kilometres of train line, with assessment of the tracks also taking place. 

Extensive clearing was carried out in the lower park removing unwanted vegetation such as brambles and bracken, providing accessibility and returning previously obscured views, with a highlight being the renewed prominence of Coal Creek’s waterwheel.  

Kim said it was a pleasant surprise to discover the wheel still turns and that its bearers are sound.

Its timber structure requires work, with some parts needing replacement, but there is confidence it could be returned to its former glory and be set for long-term operation.

“The fact you can get to the wheel is a great leap forward,” Kim said.

As well as reclaiming the lower section of the park from vegetation, extensive work has been undertaken to ensure roadways are functional and support pedestrians and vehicles, important for the ongoing maintenance of such a substantial area.

Safety and remediation works in the lower park were costed and budgeted as part of Coal Creek’s operational budget, with the priority being to get the support infrastructure, that is roads, power, safe parkland in shape first, while also focusing on the buildings and facilities of the park.

Those roadways will also prove crucial during the festival, enabling access for food vendor vehicles, attendees and entertainers, with a stage to be placed in the lower park, Kim said.

The Southern Lights Festival is an initiative from the Korumburra Business Association and takes place on Sunday June 11, during the King’s Birthday weekend, kicking off at 3pm and with tickets $15 for adults and free for those aged under 18.