The South Coast community is wonderful, working together for the greater good, is how we roll.
Last Saturday morning saw the start of a powerful collaboration between The Green Net (TGN), Bendigo Conservation Group, Bendigo residents and ratepayers, and Tidy Towns Sea Park to Banana Beach coming together to share, support and bring positive changes and improvements to our area.
TGN started south of Sayidi removing invasive alien species, notably sisal agave sisalana (L) and garingboom (A).
Category 2 states a permit is required to grow this plant, where it is required to be cultivated under controlled conditions.
Outside of these conditions it is a Category 1B (have a look at TGN 2023 calendar, which touches on sisal in the month of August).
As everyone knows, most plants thrive here in our cosy and comfortable climate with lots of rain and no frost – but these guys really flourish.
Many folks say they use this plant as ‘security’. Please do not.
I made this same mistake before I knew better because they look so fierce, but we have many other indigenous plants that are much more suitable and a lot less problematic.
Sisal plants are not easy nor pleasant to remove, with sharp burning thorns and hundreds of seeds.
We are using a two-system method i.e. the main plant and leaves to go to green dumping, and the seeds are harvested and controlled in black bin bags to prevent further new plants growing.
Others tidied up the corner by the lights, put in some beautiful plants and revealed the road under the sand.
It’s a work in progress, and with everyone on board it will become more beautiful as new plants thrive and others get moved on.
Please liaise with any one of the groups involved if you can offer support financially, with your time or labour, indigenous plants and trees.
Every bit of help is hugely appreciated!
* Side note: Thanks to Gary Manggos and Dumisani Mhlongo of Ray Nkonyeni Municipality for all their assistance and support with these projects.
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