The merit of originality…by Nigel Dawe Have a say in Shaping the Future of Pottsville’s Open Spaces

THE closest thing to a simple defnition I can think of for originality is an ability to do the unexpectedly brilliant, if not the evidently different: to create or convert something from the near on pedestrian, to something truly profound in a fash.

Relatedly the celebrated Irish fathomer, Bernard Shaw once said, “What the world calls originality is only an unaccustomed method of tickling it.” Thus, anything original tends to evoke joy or surprise, it makes life somehow more pleasant, satisfying, meaningful even; it grants us something that directly poses the question - how did we ever get by without it?

But true originality, that being paradigm shifting, era-defning, status quo challenging originality does not occur all that often, or if it does it is only by degrees. Imagine a politician courageous and daring enough to say, “I think each country should simply grow up, we should all strive to reach a level of awareness, maturity, civility and emotional standing to do away with our armed forces, and all their weapons of destruction, and just direct every dollar of funding to schools, health care, and ensuring a basic quality of life for everyone.”

Which might be considered wacky, weird and downright reprehensible to some, but why shouldn’t we have mindsets and elected leaders that fully commit and aspire to reaching such commendable heights?

Raising us up, not forcing us to ‘play along’ and cower down to the warped infuences and antics of militaristic regimes. After all, as the Scottish essayist and virtual voice of the entire Victorian era, Thomas Carlyle once suggested, “The merit of originality is not novelty; it is sincerity.”

Sincerity has seemingly been the rarest of either seen or exchanged collateral of the human spirit, not just in our mile wide, inch deep meaningstricken excuse of an era, but right throughout history. We have always struggled to simply be open and true to ourselves. That said, there have been enough exceptions to this stunted norm to raise the hopes of even the most jaded cynic. As John O’Donohue once noted, “Each of us is an artist of our days; the greater our integrity and awareness, the more original and creative our time will become.”

As if he were inviting the above comment of O’Donohue’s from a deserted bus stop and straight into a packed gym, Ryan Lilly once said, “Get off the treadmill of consumption, replication, and mediocrity. Begin lifting the weights of creativity, originality, and success.” Which is quite apt, because without effort and application, follow through and expression, originality remains a dormant nothing in the human soul.

But like anything, and being original is no different; when you try too hard, outcomes tend to impart an air of being forced and not quite right in some way. Just being yourself no matter what, appears the key to originality. Or as Suzy Kassem once beautifully identifed, “Be different. Be original. Nobody will remember a specifc fower in a garden flled with thousands of the same yellow fower, but they will remember the one that managed to change its colour to purple.”

The Tweed Shire Council is inviting input from residents of Pottsville following the unveiling of a preliminary blueprint for enhancing six key public areas in the cherished coastal town.

A sequence of community information gatherings will take place in Pottsville over the upcoming weeks, offering locals the chance to share their aspirations for the town and provide input on the preliminary plan.

The community information sessions are scheduled as follows:

• Koala Beach Sports Field (soccer felds) – Saturday, August 19, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm (featuring large outdoor games).

• Pottsville Beach Markets - Sunday, August 20, from 7:30 am to 1 pm.

• Pottsville Beach Markets - Sunday, September 3, from 7:30 am to 1 pm.

• Pottsville Oval - Saturday, September 16, from 10 am to 2 pm (including large outdoor games).

For those unable to attend the in-person events, an online survey and printed survey copies are available.

Murray Smith, the Council Manager for Parks and Active Communities, encourages the community to provide their insights on the preliminary plan. Smith emphasizes that the with the community during July and August of the previous year.

Initial feedback was gathered from residents, businesses, educational centers, schools, and even children and youth.

The focus of the consultation centered goal of the draft plan is to unify community priorities and create well-connected spaces accessible to all.

The council is inviting input regarding a preliminary masterplan for enhancing six crucial open spaces within a coastal town.

Smith states, “Our draft masterplan seeks to align with community feedback, prioritizing aspects such as the environment, culture, and community. We’ve taken into account the community’s appreciation for open spaces and local heritage, as well as the needs of existing stakeholders. We urge community members to actively participate by joining the information sessions or completing the online survey. Your input will shape the fnal plan.”

The masterplan was unveiled on the Council’s Your Say Tweed page after extensive consultation around six signifcant open spaces in Pottsville: Pottsville Environment Park, Pottsville RSL Memorial Oval, ANZAC Park, Philip Street Reserve, Hardy Park North, and Ambrose Brown Park.

The process yielded 196 online responses, 325 survey postcards from young Pottsville residents, as well as numerous additional submissions, including a concept plan designed by an 11-year-old community participant. Utilizing this valuable feedback, the Council engaged a local landscape architect to create preliminary concepts for the six key areas, with careful consideration of diverse community desires and practical constraints like fooding, drainage, and proximity to environmental zones.

Key themes from the feedback highlighted the community’s desire for improved barbecue and picnic facilities, shaded areas, creek access, viewing platforms, pathways, and connectivity across the six spaces. The importance of nature play, enhanced trails, and utilization of the Pottsville Environment Centre also stood out. The community expressed interest in multi-use sites, inclusive facilities for activities like skating and scootering, and the possibility of a bike facility. Safety for pedestrians and road crossings was a recurring concern.

Developing a masterplan for Pottsville’s open spaces is a pivotal objective in the Open Space Strategy (2019–2029). The Council will need to secure funding to bring the fnal masterplan to fruition and realize the envisioned improvements.

To read the draft masterplan and complete the online survey, visit yoursaytweed.com.au/ pottsville