Brightly painted planter boxes, which have been placed in the Cronulla mall and along the Kirrawee and Caringbah shopping strips, have provided both a touch of colour and a talking point.
Sutherland Shire Council has installed 30 of the containers over the last few weeks to “refresh streetscapes” by “providing natural landscaping, where large scale gardens are not practical or don’t exist”.
The bright yellow and pink colours of the boxes have provoked comment, with one group overheard saying they should have been painted in the Cronulla Sharks’ colours of black, white and blue.
Mayor Carmelo Pesce said the planter boxes would be on trial for 12 months, after which a decision would be made on whether to extend them or a similar urban beautification and naturalisation program to other shopping centres.
Cr Pesce said the colours were chosen “to match the street banners and provide a burst of natural colour to soften the streetscapes”.
”Plants were selected based on their hardiness and ability to withstand varying degrees of sun and shade,” he said.
“While the planter boxes will be maintained by council, local businesses are being asked to assist in watering the plants and monitoring them to prevent or report vandalism.”
Cr Pesce said the success of the program would depend on co-operation and shared responsibility.
“This trial is a great opportunity for council and local businesses to work together to improve the appearance of our shared community spaces,” he said.
“I encourage our community to actively report any vandalism to the planter boxes as damage to the boxes and plants has a significant impact on the presentation of the area and adds to the ongoing costs of maintenance.”
