Brookvale’s True Colours

Brookvale’s

True Colours

THE VIBRANT SOCIAL SCENE FLOODING BROOKVALE ON A SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON IS VASTLY DIFFERENT TO THE DAY-TO-DAY LIFE THAT UNFOLDS MONDAY TO FRIDAY. COVERED. CAUGHT UP WITH BOUTIQUE MANUFACTURER, COLORMAKER INDUSTRIES MANAGING DIRECTOR, DAVID STUART, TO TALK ABOUT THE CHANGING FACE OF BROOKVALE AND DISCOVERED, WHILE THERE ARE EXCITING TIMES AHEAD, THERE ARE ALSO SOME ISSUES TO ADDRESS.

Managing Director, David Stuart, has worked in the Brookvale district for a very long time. In the late 1990s he was employed at Colormaker, a 60-year plus manufacturer of paints and inks. In 2003 he returned to buy the business and has watched plenty of changes take place.

“It’s defi nitely an interesting transition for Brookvale,” he says. “In 2003 there were very few two-story buildings in the street. Now there are quite a few three-story ones.

“For the fi rst 10 years, it was business as usual. Then a bit of retail started to come in. Then it was sandwich stores and coffee shops. Now, the microbrewery thing is happening, there are distilleries and the art scene is certainly coming to life.”

In 2018, David handed the front of his premises over to talented artist Miguel Gonzalez and a wonderful 3D mural appeared.

“We used to have this 1960s textured red brick facade,” he recalls. In 2014, we painted it COLORBOND® Ironstone, that the staff called ‘Long Bay Grey’. Then in 2018, Miguel approached us to do the mural. It’s fantastic. Brookvale is getting a more artistic vibe and I love that.”

While food, art and alcohol continue to take up more real estate and a vibrant social scene is rampant on the weekends, Monday to Friday is quite a different story.

“It’s crazy here during the week,” admits David. “There’s a lot of traffi c and parking is a big issue. Sometimes there’ll be three semi-trailers waiting to access the factories.”

FILLING THE GAPS

Parking, public transport and affordable housing are just a few fundamentals the Council will need to address if Brookvale is to continue to blossom and boom.

“We need the right infrastructure to support people,” says David.

“Many of our employees who used to live locally have now moved away. One drives from St Clair. Another used to live in Balgowlah but now lives on the Central Coast. Two others come from near Botany Bay. There’s an issue when people who work in manufacturing can’t afford to live in the local area anymore.”

When you’re chatting to locals, the subject of the West Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link attract confl icting opinions.

“Some locals say they don’t want this access upgraded. For me, better transport would be brilliant,” says David. “I was born in Manly Hospital. We must think about ways we can move people and goods more effi ciently and have fewer cars on the road.”

“There are places like Norway - big countries with small populations and rich in natural resources like Australia - their local and long-distance rail is fi rst class. We should be learning from countries like that.”

For local manufacturers, there’s also the concern that certain businesses that historically made up the fabric of Brookvale could easily get priced out of the market. There’s the possibility that warehousing and retail will squeeze out heavier industries. That’s a worry because there are some wonderful people in Brookvale making world-class products.” - David Stuart, Managing Director, Colormaker Industries.

“There’s the possibility that warehousing and retail will squeeze out heavier industries,” says David.

“That’s a worry because there are some wonderful people in Brookvale making world-class products. It would be interesting if Council could structure development so we can retain heavy industries even as more maker spaces pop up. That could mean multi-story occupancy.”

While the suburb around Colormaker develops, David remains committed to reducing their environmental impact.

“A big change over the past 2 years is that now, our manufacturing uses 100% renewable electricity. Our solar array produces twice as much power as we use. We have an electric vehicle for local deliveries. Our objective is to be carbon neutral by 2030, perhaps even by 2025 if we can manage it.”

With leaders like this in the hood, it feels like Brookvale is in capable hands. •

Megan Vickery DONNA ARMSTRONG // PHOTO:

Words:

COLORMAKER INDUSTRIES: 44 ORCHARD ROAD, BROOKVALE 2100

02 9939 7977 // sales@colormaker.com.au // www.colormaker.com.au // Paint Shop: Monday to Friday: 7.30am–4pm