View the PRIME Tamworth video news story about the DesignTECH opening and the regional award winner, Daniel Brown. View the Northern Daily Leader newspaper article. A 2008 Higher School Certificate student from Carinya Christian School, Tamworth, has been named a regional award winner for his design of a compost tea brewer. Daniel Brown, a 2008 HSC Design and Technology student, is among students from the North Western region chosen to exhibit their major works in the regional exhibition of the HSC showcase, DesignTECH, at Ray Walsh House from 17 to 30 June 2009. Daniel was today (17 June 2009) named the recipient of the UNSW Faculty of the Built Environment DesignTECH Regional Tour Award for the North Western region. The Minister for Education and Training, Verity Firth, congratulated Daniel on receiving the Regional Tour Award for his project. "As part of his HSC Design and Technology course, Daniel created an innovative system, called Microbe Magic. This is a compost tea brewer which pumps air through compost, depositing organisms into water to create an organic fertiliser. "Air is pumped through a cylinder covered at the end with a mesh bag holding compost, known as a compost basket. The basket is suspended in a large container of water. Air is pumped through the cylinder for six or seven hours, forcing fungi, bacteria and other organisms into the water, creating a weak 'tea' solution. "The compost basket is then removed from the container. Molasses, fish and other foods are added to the solution and air is pumped directly into it for 48 hours to enable the organisms to multiply. "The final product is further diluted to create an organic fertiliser, which can be sprayed on foliage and builds up the micro-organisms in the soil. "It is an outstanding project, and we wish Daniel well in his future studies and career," Ms Firth said. The UNSW Faculty of the Built Environment sponsors the Regional Tour Award in recognition of talented young designers from regional NSW who 'play a future role in designing for a sustainable future'. Ms Firth said some of the State's best young designers were on show at the Tamworth DesignTECH exhibition. "Outstanding works by four students from the North Western region, including Daniel Brown, were specially chosen for the local version of the DesignTECH exhibition," she said. "They include decorative French doors created by Kellie Smith, of Carinya Christian School, Tamworth, and a luggage set by Stephanie Brummell, of PLC Armidale. The luggage was included in the Grafton DesignTECH exhibition because Stephanie lives at Glen Innes. "A two-in-one chair design by Amanda Scott, of Tamworth, who completed the course with Dubbo School of Distance Education, was also chosen for exhibition but was not available for display. "A fifth local student, Andrew van Baal (O'Connor Catholic College), whose work was exhibited at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, is part of the regional tour. His device which locks brakes safely is also on show at Ray Walsh House along with 14 other projects on tour." The Board of Studies NSW runs DesignTECH in association with the Department of Education and Training to highlight the talent and skills demonstrated by HSC Design and Technology students. Ms Firth encouraged students and residents of Tamworth and the North Western region to visit the exhibition. "DesignTECH gives the community the chance to see the innovative work and technological applications emerging from the Design and Technology curriculum in NSW," she said. "The projects, which meet an identified need in the community, are immensely creative, innovative and practical." The DesignTECH exhibition will be open in Ray Walsh House, 437 Peel Street, Tamworth, until 30 June 2009. See the DesignTECH gallery guides and the remaining exhibition dates for Wagga Wagga and Southern Highlands. Don't miss out! Get your Board news fast and from the source with our easy email news alerts. Simply enter your address in the box to the right of this article and remember to verify when you get our confirmation message.