GARDEN CLUB BOOST FOR PEACE

Paul Czulowski and Winsome Barker (centre) receive a donation from Kiama Garden Club President Marie Hampton.

PEACE Park is another step closer to realisation this week after a generous $500 donation was received from the Kiama Garden Club towards the project.

Totally dependant on the support of the community, the Peace Park project has twice suffered long delays first with the death of Deputy Mayor and coordinator of the project Robert East and again when a concrete sponsor could not be found for the project.

Despite the recent hurdles, council Manager of Environment and Health Paul Czulowski said things had improved to the point where he was now confident work would start on the project inside the next month.

We are very happy to receive this positive contribution to such a worthwhile community project. The Peace Park depends solely on the support of the community and businesses so it is fantastic to see people getting on board, he said.

We are meeting with representatives from the local service clubs and members of the engineering department very soon with the view of getting started on the front wall.

Mr Czulowski said the Friends of Peace Park Committee was still looking to gain more sponsorship.

We are still in need of some pretty major items at this stage, he said. The main thing we are looking for is timber for the gazebos, so if anyone could help us out there it would be

fantastic.

If everything keeps going to plan we are hoping to be finished the project next year sometime so we can hold an official opening in September or October when the roses are blooming.

President of the Kiama Garden Club Marie Hampton said she was pleased to be able to offer support to the project.

Both myself and Winsome are members of the Friends of Peace Park Committee and we think the park will be absolutely beautiful. We are not a service club so we usually do not make donations like this to the community but we invite everyone to become involved and watch the progress of this project because I am sure it will end up just lovely.