Bellingen Courier Sun, 3 April 2019
Bellingen Shire Council has installed new interpretive signage at the four reserves in the Gleniffer Valley, including Broken Bridge, Angel Gabriel Capararo, Arthur Keough and Earl Preston.
The signs aim to educate visitors, remind them to treat the area with the respect it deserves, and give them information about alternative locations.
“Not only do the signs make a beautiful addition to our reserves,” Mayor Dominic King said, “they also play a very important role in educating and dispersing our visitors. They aim to raise awareness on how special the natural environment is, give tips on how to protect the waterways, and emphasise the importance of respecting private property, as well as how to behave appropriately when visiting the valley.”
A key feature of the signs are QR codes which play a range of video content. “This technology enables council to promote other swimming spots across the shire,” added the Mayor. “The videos will aim to help reduce visitor numbers during peak periods by showcasing alternative locations like Dangar Falls in Dorrigo or our beautiful beaches at Urunga.”
Bellingen Shire Council’s investment in the signage project was supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, via the 2018 Regional Tourism Fund.
Each sign provides different information across a range of themes from Indigenous culture and European history to native flora and fauna.
They also highlight the important conservation work that the Never Never Catchment Group and the local community has completed over the last 20 years to improve the natural environment and riparian zone.
The signs were developed and designed by local firm, Fisher Design and Architecture.
The Gleniffer Reserves Master Plan aims to provide a vision for the reserves and reflect our community’s creative spirit and environmental values. It aims to preserve and protect the natural environment while retaining a sense of place through the implementation of ideas and design solutions. The key strategies employed focus on: education, information, infrastructure and regulation.
