Congratulations Barry!
City of Coffs Harbour (CoCH) Australia Day Senior Citizen of the Year is Barry Powells. Barry is the President of Coffs Harbour Regional Landcare (CHRL), and the long-time site coordinator for Sawtell Dunecare.
Barry has been the site-coordinator since 2012. Weed control and bush regeneration had been the main focus until a destructive hailstorm in October 2021. Barry and the site’s volunteers have been working tirelessly with council, school students and private enterprise to restore plants and habitat to Boambee headland, which was severely damaged.
Barry has been the president of CHRL for 10 years. He invests many volunteer hours into helping to manage part-time staff in the office and at the Landcare nursery in Woolgoolga, liaising with the landowners of CHRL’s 41 sites (CoCH and the National Parks and Wildlife Service), problem-solving with community members and promoting CHRL through an awards ceremony and various other activities.
Barry’s future goals include recruiting younger volunteers to Landcare and securing a permanent site for the Landcare nursery.
With the Australia Day award, Barry has also been recognised for his past volunteering with the Coffs Harbour Show Society and the Rural Fire Service.
