As the Shoalhaven prepares to mark five years since the Currowan bushfire ripped through the Conjola area and surrounds, Council is planning the next steps for the Conjola Memorial Project.
The memorial aims to commemorate the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20 and will serve as a reminder of the Conjola community's resilience and strength.
Mayor Patricia White said the process to bring the memorial to life promises to be structured and transparent, with the community involved at every stage.
"This project will create a meaningful memorial that reflects the community's experiences and supports ongoing healing and recovery," Cr White said.
"We'll be looking to the community to guide the process including decision-making on the location and design, through to helping with community events," she said.
"This will be a collaborative process to ensure we deliver a memorial that the Conjola community can be proud of."
Earlier this year Council endorsed a community-led approach to delivering this memorial, a new process developed after much research and expert consultation.
Staff worked with the Australian Red Cross, an independent disaster recovery expert and consulted with councils in Victoria who responded to the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and will adopt a best-practice process to involve community in the development of a memorial.
In January, Council will advertise expressions of interest for the community to apply to join the Conjola Memorial Project Working Group. Applicants will be asked to complete an expression of interest and will be chosen based on their skills, experience and connection to the community.
Once the working group has been established, community engagement will begin to identify the purpose and objectives for the memorial. The community can expect interactive sessions, focus groups and surveys to establish what this memorial should represent.
Donations were received by the community immediately after the fires and the working group will consider options for the use of these donations for the memorial.
Cr White said she was proud of the work Council had already done in the wake of the Black Summer bushfires. Several major infrastructure projects jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (BLERF) have been completed by Council and can be found on Council's website.
