Talented students revitalise a neglected underpass

A hinterland underpass tunnel has been turned from drab to fab in just 10 weeks by a group of creative students.

The project, which benefited from the talents of students from Beerwah High School, has been completed near the sports complex on Kilcoy-Beerwah Road.

The eye-catching mural is comprised of a series of panels, featuring everything from sunflowers to pineapples, a bird in a suit and even Spongebob Squarepants.

Team Leader Nathan Andrews from Queensland-based Integrated Family and Youth Services (IFYS) and local tattoo artist Ky Loh were instrumental in initiating the project.

Sunshine Coast Council provided guidance on community consultation and engagement.

Council’s Youth Development Officer Daniel Gettis worked with nine high school students early on to ensure the final design was embraced by users of the underpass.

“When commencing a project like this, seeking community involvement is an essential ingredient for success,” Daniel said.

“If the community is involved from the start, they develop a sense of ownership and pride in the outcome.

“It was a privilege to work alongside these incredible young people to assist them in developing the community engagement phase.”

The students prepared a survey aimed at the people who frequent the underpass, collated the results and, along with their own artistic flair, used these to inform the design.

Sunshine Coast Council Arts Portfolio and local Councillor Rick Baberowski said he thought the community would love the result and thanked all those involved.

“The original murals needed a major refresh. The process to deliver on this has been outstanding.

“I'm so thankful to the local high school for taking on this project, they could have easily decided it was too hard to juggle with their school commitments.

“The project has given the students the opportunity to be involved in a unique and intense process to deliver a community arts project,” Councillor Baberowski said.

With its eye-catching design, it's certainly something locals and visitors will be able to enjoy for years to come.