Scout Group Registration Day

Registrations for Collie Scouts will take place on Saturday February 4, from 10am to noon at the Scout Hall.

Scouts is open to youth members who are aged 5-25 years old and adult supporters.

Muja blue tree fights blues

health and suicide has touched everyone to some extent,” he said. Mr Italiano said Muja took a different approach to the typical Blue Tree narrative.

The tree was fabricated and made on site by boilermaker coded welder Darren True. It took approximately six months to build.

Head of coal generation Brent Italiano said while Mr True was the main artist, the concept was a sitewide collaboration.

“Everyone chipped in here, there and everywhere,” he said.

“We are very supportive of the blue tree movement.

"We believe in its message, and its principle right across society and industrial sites.”

Mr Italiano said the idea for a blue tree at Muja was born at the Mining and Emergency Response Competition (MERC) where Blue Tree Foundation chief executive officer Kendall Whyte presented at the awards ceremony.

“It resonated so much with everyone in the room.

“All in attendance were from heavy industry companies, and mental

“We’re environmentally friendly, and we didn’t want to kill a tree to paint it blue,” he said.

“So we used all recycled materials from the site. It was a total site collaboration - all played a role in the final product.”

The tree was unveiled on R U OK? Day last year at a dedicated ceremony.

“Everyone on site, except our operators who can’t leave the work, attended and for me, that represented the support on a site level and really spreads the message.”

Mr Italiano said the tree was strategically positioned at the site’s entrance.

“Anyone going past can see it,” he said.

“We hope that it makes sure people are comfortable to have the mental health conversation.”

The tree was sandblasted and painted by Ken Melvin from Coalfields Blasting and Coating Services.