
A BANNER featuring the city's three missing persons, Jessica Small, Janine Vaughan and Andrew Russell placed in the heart of the CBD has come down, but there are hopes a new one will return in the future.
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The banner, which was located under the Janine Vaughan billboard at Carrington Park, was the result of a community fundraising drive, and initially put up in August to coincide with Missing Person's Week.
The crowdfunding campaign, organised by Rhonda Griffin, with the help of then Mayor Bobby Bourke and Peter Rogers, saw thousands of dollars raised to make and hang a giant banner.
Mrs Griffin said it was an enormous community effort from the outset, whether it was the people donating or the design team who made the project a reality.
The banner remained in place for over nine months, however, was taken down earlier this month as the weather had taken a toll on it.
Peter Rogers, who was one of a working party to fundraise for both the initial Janine Vaughan billboard and then the additional banner featuring Jessica, Drew and Janine said the banner had become battered in the weather and council had requested it be removed.
READ MORE:
- Andrew Russell disappearance: 11 years since Bathurst man was last seen
- Missing persons billboard becomes a reality in the city's CBD
- Police tight-lipped on new development in Janine Vaughan case
- Twenty years on, the family of missing teenager Jessica Small search for answers
- Special report: So many failures, too few answers in Jessica Small case
- No action from state government on increasing Jessica Small reward
- Bathurst banner offers new hope of new answers | Missing Persons Week
Mr Rogers said the group is now discussing with council about the future of the Janine Vaughan billboard, and he is hoping that council will approve it permanently.
He said given the structure was designed to be a permanent fixture, if allowed to remain, it could be donated to the community for future use.
He said ideally in the future it could continue to be utilised not only by the group for missing persons during certain months of the year, but for other community events, like the Winter Festival.
"We are still in talks with council about what will happen," he said, adding the sign and banner had done their job, generating calls with information.
"It's been fantastic.
"We've not had one complaint, I've spoken to people and businesses in town, everyone was happy with them," he said.
A spokesperson for council said in recent weeks council has been in discussion with those who placed the signage at the Carrington Park site twelve months ago.
"The organisers of the signage requested for it to be installed on a temporary basis when it was erected and had identified that it would be in place for around three months.
"As a result, the signage is being removed, they said.
"In its place, council is working with the group on ways we can continue to support the project.
"At this stage council has offered to run a number of activities during Missing Persons Week each year which includes placing a banner in William Street."
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