29th November 2009: Big Shed Open to the public

After many hours of hard work building, fitting out, and stocking the new shed; we opened our doors to the general public on Sunday 29th November 2009.

The day was eventful and very successful; we had clowns, face painters, live music and a sausage sizzle to keep the many customers, who came along to see what all the fuss was about, entertained and well-fed.

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And just in time for Xmas shoppers, there were heaps of bargains to be had...

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Check out the photos from the big day attached below:

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Cars (and people) aplenty

Bouncy Castle provided by Sir Jumpalot Jumping Castles http://www.sirjumpalot.com/

Everybody jump, jump, jump...

Line up for the Barbie

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Our entertainers, John and Trevor

Cap'n Berserko "weirding" the kids out.

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The World's Biggest Car Boot Sale

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This year we'll have a two-car site at The World's Biggest Car Boot Sale.

This year's event which is bigger and better than ever, is being held Sunday, 15th November from 9.00am to 2.00pm in the car park of Energy Australia Stadium, Turton Road, New Lambton, Newcastle NSW.

Salamander Bay Recycling will be there with interesting wares from our shop. We'll also have plenty of custom-made items from the Salamander Bay Men's Shed with us too.

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Meet with our staff and volunteers and pick up a flyer while you are there.

The organiser of The World's Biggest Car Boot Sale is Hunter Life Education.

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Operating for over 23 years promoting the importance of healthy lifestyles; Hunter Life Education are leaders in drug and health education.

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Working in partnership with schools, community organisations and the Hunter Business Community, Hunter Life Education helps empower children and young people to make healthy choices for a future free from the harmful effects of drugs.

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Check out the Hunter Life Education website for more details on The World's Biggest Car Boot Sale :

http://www.hunterlifeeducation.org.au/page6357/EVENTS_Worlds-Biggest-Car-Boot-Sale.aspx

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National Recycling Week: 9th - 15th November 2009

Salamander Bay Recycling is proud to be involved in this year's National Recycling Week promotion.

Salamander Bay Recycling will have a high-visibility presence in the 7th of November edition of the Newcastle Herald's, National Recycling Week newspaper feature.

But as we are all aware recycling is not just for one week, but for fifty two week's, of every year.

Go to Planet Ark's website http://recyclingweek.planetark.org/ to read up on how to live the recycling lifestyle and head on down to Salamander Bay Recycling to pick up a bargain while you are at it.

Salamander Bay Recycling's Newcastle Herald advert (7th November 2009 edition):

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"What can we do dad? I'm bored".

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Customer, David Budden, saw the potential in many obscure items which he found at Salamander Bay Recycling and with the help of his children, they made a Billy Cart the whole neighbourhood is talking about.

Here's David's Billy Cart story:

"It was the school holidays and we had nothing to do, and nowhere to go, "What can we do dad? I'm bored". So down to the recycle centre, we went, to get the ingredients to make a billy cart.

Once everyone who works at the recycle centre knew we were building a billy cart, they couldn't have been more helpful as we rustled up a pram, some timber, an old broken golf buggy, some paint, some foam, some bolts and a couple of stainless steel vases to make cool exhaust pipes; all of which cost less than $20.

We took our booty home and proceeded to pull it all apart, cut the timber, use the pram and golf buggy, to build the best billy cart ever that all the kids in the street love.

It's the best 20 bucks I have ever spent, to both recycle some discarded items that may well have ended up in landfill and build something that is robust, to last probably years and give the kids in the street many hours of enjoyment...better than a PlayStation any day.."

Thanks David for your enthusiasm, we're sure that the kids will have many hours of fun on the Billy Cart.

Check out images of David's Billy Cart below (we reckon it looks pretty smart).

Just imagine what you and your kids could do with a bunch of odds and ends from Salamander Bay Recycling...


See if you can spot the golf buggy wheels, pram seat and vertically-aligned, three-wheel pram frame:

Flying the tartan-chequered flag for recycled material:

Hey, cool vases... erm... exhaust pipes:

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New Shed construction images

Significant changes have occurred since our previous post regarding the construction of our new retail shed.

You'll find a few images attached below which show the changes in chronological order.


11th September 2009:

15th September 2009:

16th September 2009:

18th September 2009:

22nd September 2009:

29th September 2009:

30th September 2009:

12th October 2009:

30th October 2009:

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Playing the frame game

Initial impressions from the general public regarding the size of the new retail shed's slab, was that it was "big" or "awesome" or we even occasionally heard "how ya gonna fill that space up?".

Fortunately, our intention is to fill the shed up with quality seconds, from many, many sources.

But before we can fill it up, we have to build it first...

The next phase of the redevelopment has started and we are now onto the frame erection process.

Fascinating in its simplicity, the frame has been erected by Greg Jackson from ABC Sheds in two stages:

1) Columns and roof trusses.

2) Perlins and wall girts.

We took delivery of the frame components on the morning of Thursday the 3rd of September. By lunchtime the preparation work had been completed and the installation process was underway.

The first stage involved the installation of the vertical columns and roof trusses. The image below shows the final few centimetres of the first column's journey into position.

From these first few steps, the rest of the frame's columns and roof trusses were installed by 5.00pm that afternoon (just in time for the rain).

New YouTube channel for Salamander Bay Recycling

Click on the link below and subscribe to the Recycling Centre's new YouTube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/user/SalamanderRecycle

ABC 1233 Radio interview June 2009

Click on the play button and listen to a radio interview conducted in June of 2009 between the Recycling Centre's Business Development Manager, Gerard McClafferty and ABC 1233 Reporter Matthew Bevan.

Gerard gave Matthew a behind-the-scenes guided tour of the Recycling Centre where they found some interesting things to talk about...

Slabs, slabs, trenches and slabs #2

Computer Repair Shed:

To accommodate the construction of our new Computer Repair Shed, we first of all had to link services into the various underground mains systems (power, telecoms and waste).

The formwork was also laid for the shed's slab, but first, fences were removed and the area was cleared to allow for contractor access.

With the formwork laid the concreting contractors were able to pour the slab in just over 4 hours.

Before...

During...

And, after.

Slabs, slabs, trenches and slabs #1

The last few weeks has seen significant, physical change at the centre.

New Retail Shed:

On the 17th of August, the slab of the new retail shed was formed up, and over 60 tonnes of concrete was poured the following day.

The contractors encountered a number of technical issues with regards to the slab's footings, due in part, to the high level of the underground water table (pictured below).

Fortunately, the technical problems were resolved and the work on the large retail shed's slab pour went ahead without a hitch.

Pictured below is the Concrete truck's "Elephant trunk" pouring concrete directly into the retail shed's formwork.

By mid-afternoon on Tuesday the 18th of August, the pour was complete and we had our first indication as to the eventual scale of the new structure.

500sqm of floor-space is a lot!!! of floor-space to work with, however we are looking forward to stocking the new shed full of freshly-sourced, second-hand material for our valued customers to enjoy.

Interactive sculpture sessions with locally-renowned sculptor Rick Pettit (entry #2)

Sculptor, Rick Pettit has been crafting one of the two, four-metre Turpentine wharf beams on site for the last two weeks.

http://salamanderrecycle.blogspot.com/2009/07/interactive-sculpture-sessions-with.html

The basic shapes of a number of various characters on the first totem pole have already been hewn from the wood.

One of the most-defined figures derived from the totem so far, is that of the Phoenix.

The legend of the Phoenix has been around for many centuries. There are various concepts, but the basic idea is that the Phoenix, being a mythological creature, would live for 1000 years. As the 1000 years came to an end, the Phoenix, according to legend, would build its own funeral pyre, and throw itself onto the flames.

As it died, the Phoenix would be reborn anew, and rise from the ashes to live for another 1000 years.

The correlation between rebirth and recycling are obvious; however the symbolism associated with the Phoenix is powerful and still relevant, even in today’s often cynical world.

Rick is skilfully combining the use of various tools like the contemporary chainsaw and angle grinder, with that of the ancient adze and axe to extract personas, such as the Phoenix, from the timber.

Mr Pettit's artwork is an inspiration to us all, and perhaps his efforts will inspire you to enter our art competition: PROJECT PHOENIX 2009.

The flyer artwork is pictured below, with full competition entry details being found on this blogsite at:

http://salamanderrecycle.blogspot.com/2009/07/competition-time.html

Donation of a second-hand racking system sought

We are on the lookout for a corporate or private donor, who is able to provide an obsolete racking system to fit out the new retail shed once it is built.

Ideally, we are interested in longspan shelving 2400mm high, 600mm deep with three adjustable shelf levels per bay (pictured above), but would obviously be willing to look at alternative options.

Interested parties may contact us via email on salamander.recycle@gmail.com or call Gerard on 0429 846 242.

Interactive sculpture sessions with locally-renowned sculptor Rick Pettit (entry #1)

The R&R is proud to announce that we have attained the services of locally renowned sculptor Rick Pettit.

Rick will sculpt two, 4 metre-high Totem poles out of a single, hundred-year-old Turpentine wharf beam.

The Totems will commemorate the opening of the new retail shed, scheduled for December 2009 and when completed will be located at the main pedestrian entrance of the new retail shed.

Mr Pettit is generously donating his time to create the two unique carvings, which will represent the ethos of recycling through the time-honoured use of rebirth symbology.

Rick will create his masterpieces on site at the R&R and as a result, community members are encouraged to visit us at the Centre over the next few months to witness the emergence of what we anticipate will be extraordinary works of art.

NB: Due to the external location of the designated sculpting area, the sessions will be held during suitable weather conditions.

New computer repair facility approved

The application for new facilities to repair second-hand Personal Computers (PCs) has been approved by Port Stephens Council. Work has commenced, with the ground preparation already underway (shown below).


We have a number of qualified volunteers who specialise in PC maintenance, and due to their sterling efforts we have outgrown the present location where maintenance works are carried out.


At the moment, PCs are repaired in a very noisy workshop area which is obviously not the preferred environment to concentrate on delicate repairs. So as a result, a decision was taken by the Board of Directors to develop a stand-alone facility, specifically dedicated to the repair of PCs.

Businesses, organisations or individuals may be in the process of upgrading office equipment; or they may have items such as old PCs, Fax machines or Photocopiers gathering dust in a store room.

Everyone is encouraged to donate their obsolete equipment for the purpose of extending its lifespan.

Donated hardware is serviced by trained technicians and is channelled back into the community via our onsite store.

For peace of mind; great care is taken to ensure that the hard-drive of every recycled PC is cleared of sensitive data. We guarantee privacy via the procedural installation of a ‘hard-drive eraser’; which permanently removes private files and data.

Our donor's support of this initiative provides a much-needed alternative option for members of the community, unable to afford costly retail prices.

So if you have a PC with an operating system no earlier than Windows 98...we'd be interested in hearing from you.

Don't throw it out... We'll take it!