Graffiti artists Kairau Bradley lays out the outlines for the Smeaton Drive mural in 2008. Photo / John Stone
Graffiti artists Kairau Bradley lays out the outlines for the Smeaton Drive mural in 2008. Photo / John Stone
Kim Anderson is passionate about her community and refuses to stop making it a better place to live.
Ms Anderson and an enthusiastic bunch who make up the Smeaton Drive Community Association were the main drivers behind the Smeaton Drive mural in 2008, and they are continuing the good paintwork.
Tomorrow morning they will again be dishing out free brushes and paint to rejuvenate the wooden fence lining a walkway linking Smeaton Drive to State Highway 1. It is all part of a facelift project for the southern entrance to Whangarei City involving Whangarei District Council, Smeaton Drive community, NZ Transport, Opus, Downers and the Community Probation service.
The groups are working together to improve 300 metres of roadside along SH1 near Bunnings. But it is community members who paint the fence and they would also touch up the mural.
For five years Ms Anderson has spearheaded the drive to make Smeaton Drive a better place to live. "Because the area is so transient, people moving in don't know the kaupapa and the story behind the mural. But we are reliving the stories with them and days like this weekend are a great opportunity to share those stories and get people involved," she said.
