Come and See Our Big Nev!
This is what the design of Ballina’s new Big Prawn will look like.
Dubbed ‘Neville’ by developer Chris Condon, Big Prawn the Second is proposed to be built at the new service centre at the southern entrance to town when the Pacific Highway bypass is completed.
Media reports this week said that Lennox Head artist Angus McDonald and Lismore designer Natalie Wilkin put the new concept to Mr Condon, and he liked it.
Neville will be made of polystyrene foam and the exterior will be polyester resin and fibreglass.
A high-gloss, wet-finish appearace will be achieved with layers of automotive paint.
This is intended to make it look like a prawn which has just been taken from the ocean, rather than one which is ready to be eaten, as in the concept design picture.
The prawn will replace the Big Prawn at West Ballina, which could be demolished any day, now that the Pennisi-owned service centre is being pulled down.
The decision to demolish the Big Prawn was made late last year, and sparked plenty of debate.
There were even Facebook pages set up.
As of today, February 10, the Facebook page in favour of the Big Prawn had 5014 members.
The ‘Kill the Prawn’ page had only 54 members.
Two conclusions can be drawn from this: One, more people are in favour of the Big Prawn than are opposed to it; or two, the people who tend to like Big Things, especially Big Prawns, are more likely to make their opinions heard than those who don’t!
Whatever the real reason, there is one thing most people will agree on: Neville the New Big Prawn might be an OK way to refer to it during the construction process – but as for listing Ballina’s major tourist attraction as ‘Nev’ … we don’t think it will work.
“Come and see our Big Nev” … it just doesn’t sound right!
February 11th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Kind of pathetic really, we live in such a beautiful environment, there is absolutely no need for BIG things . Isnt life big enough.