Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR)
This story was submitted as part of FRRR’s 25th birthday celebrations.
“Well done for being so helpful even for the most wackiest of ideas that looked crazy on paper and took six years to come to fruition. Thank you for believing in us.”
Rachel Walmsley, Landcare Coordinator
FRRR funding supported us to help build a 10.75m high sculpture of two Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos in Moora. Now six years in the planning, it is finally being built and will be unveiled in the winter of 2025.
The aim of the sculpture in Moora is to attract more tourists, which will stimulate economic growth both locally and in the regional community. This project is a partnership project between the Kerkhoff Carnaby Group Inc (KCG), Moore Catchment Council and Shire of Moora.
Building the BIG Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo sculpture will:
- Increase the overall number of tourists visiting and extending the tourism season to 12 months rather than the traditional winter / early spring tourist season;
- Put Moora on the ‘Australian Big Things’ map as a ‘must see’ destination for all tourists (both Australian and international);
- Make Moora an eco-tourism destination with tourists being immersed in the ‘Natural Wheatbelt Experience’, including learning about and exploring Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos and WA’s best natural assets i.e. natural bushland walk trails and wildflowers; and
- Highlight Moora as an important place for Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo ecological conservation in WA.
This $60,000 grant was the trigger that helped start the donations rolling in right at the beginning when nobody believed in the project. We have since raised nearly $500,000 towards building the sculpture (which includes 76% private community funds).
