HAIRDRESSER Corey Kenny reckons his idea to transform the long-maligned Queens Wharf Tower into a ‘‘vertical tree garden’’ should be no tall order.
‘‘No one I know holds this tower in high regard or visits it because it’s particularly ugly,’’ the 32-year-old says.
‘‘It’s a bit smelly and dirty and doesn’t inspire you to climb it.
‘‘I don’t think making a vertical garden will be a hard thing to do – if we all band together it could be done as a community project.’’
Mr Kenny has submitted his idea to beautify the tower in the Newcastle Herald’s Smart Ideas competition, a part of next month’s Hunter Innovation Festival.
With $2500 in cash and prizes up for grabs, entrants are asked to say in 500 words or less what their idea is, and accompany it with an illustration, photograph or video running less than three minutes.
Entry deadline is June 30.
The seed for Mr Kenny’s idea came to him during a recent visit to Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay, which is home to more than 500,000 plants, so-called flower domes, cloud forests and vertical gardens that reach to the sky.
‘‘They have these huge steel structures, purpose-built as man-made trees, it’s amazing,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m not an expert, but [for Queen’s Wharf] we just need plants, irrigation and a way to attach the plants.’’
Mr Kenny imagines the tower being covered with a native plant capable of withstanding sea elements.
In its new form, he says the once ‘‘tired, ugly, dirty and under-utilised’’ tower would attract more tourists and even birdlife.
If successful, he says the project will be the first he will manage under his pilot CBD beautification project ‘‘Jungle Hunter’’.
‘‘With an established network of experts, businesses and green organisations, Jungle Hunter will identify other CBD buildings and structures to be beautified,’’ he said.
‘‘Project by project, Jungle Hunter will start to establish Newcastle city as a green urban landscape.’’
A resident of Newcastle for about seven years, Mr Kenny’s idea also stems from his love for the city.
‘‘I think Newcastle is heading in a great direction, so many things have changed in the past few years and I want to be a part of it,’’ he said.
‘‘I feel proud of my city and I want to do my bit.
‘‘Regardless if I win [the competition] or not, I hope this opens up the possibility of meeting like-minded people to help move ideas forward.’’
IS YOUR SMART IDEA WORTH $2500
GOT a good idea? Let us know and you could win $2500 in cash and prizes.
But you need to get your thinking cap on.
It could be a product, a service, or simply a concept. It might be about business, community, the arts, sport, or any other facet of Hunter life.
The Smart Ideas Competition is presented in conjunction with the Hunter Innovation Festival.
Entries must be 500 words or less, and accompanied by an illustration or photograph/s, or in the form of a video no longer than three minutes.
The winner will receive $500 cash, plus a $1000 fund to develop the idea, and up to $1000 worth of mentorship and advisory services from the University of Newcastle and the Business Centre Newcastle.
Creators of the top three original ideas will have the opportunity to make a 90-second presentation to the Hunter Innovation Festival breakfast launch on Tuesday, July 14, at Watt Street Arc.
Email your entries to online.media@theherald.com.au with ‘‘Hunter Innovation Smart Ideas’’ in the subject line. Videos can be emailed or brought in to the Newcastle Herald offices.
So get those ideas out of the pool room and into this competition before 5pm on Tuesday, June 30.
source:- www.newcastleherald.com.au
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