QCS weaves stars to promote violence-free communities

A key Queensland Corrective Services community service project is helping to bring people together and promote violence-free communities one star at a time.

The One Billion Stars Project, created in 2012 and founded by Maryanne Talia Pau, is a star weaving project recognised as a symbol of hope, courage and solidarity to end all forms of violence.

The project involves community corrections officers teaching individuals who have been sentenced to community service by a Court to weave stars, which are included in community displays with the aim of raising awareness about domestic and family violence.

North Coast Region Regional Supervisor Charlotte Blue

In the past two years, supervised individuals across five district offices in the North Coast Region (Gympie, Maroochydore, Caboolture, Redcliffe and Pine Rivers) have created more than 4000 stars in support of the project.

This is one of many community service projects that supervised individuals can engage in, and provides a valuable opportunity to develop skills, pro-social networks and to give back to the community.

Further information

• The One Billion Stars project has been a Community Service project since 2022 for North Coast Region Community Corrections.
• Alongside the One Billion Star project, individuals can also learn sewing through making trauma teddies which are donated to local hospitals, dog chew toys which are donated to the RSPCA and NAIDOC bracelets donated to local community NAIDOC events.
• In the 2022-2023 financial year more than 17,000 community service hours were completed across the North Coast region, the equivalent of more than $490,000 in labour supporting the region.
• During this period, 212 individuals successfully completed their reparation orders.