A conservancy affords a community with an environmental mandate, a framework and a vehicle within which to focus on conservation. It gives a community a stronger voice and a coordinated stance against undesirable activities in your area.
The shocking disaster imposed on the entire South Coast community since November, throughout the most important, economy-boosting summer season, and still continuing, deserves condemnation of the highest order by everyone.
The fact that Ray Nkonyeni Municipality allowed internal issues to stop all services to the residents and ratepayers during this crucial time, further tarnishing the already battered reputation of the South Coast as a desirable destination for a holiday or investment, is inexcusable.
Fortunately, our Bendigo community, Sea Park – Pumula, comprises various civil organisations, the Bendigo Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association, ourselves as the Bendigo Conservation Group, Tidy Towns and The Green Net all work together and have the community interests at heart. With the help, support, guidance and generosity of various ‘super angels’, we’ve been able to keep our area relatively tidy through this disruption.
There are too many to thank personally (and some don’t want public acknowledgement), but we want to say we see you, and we appreciate you enormously! To everyone who has heeded our requests to recycle more (less to landfill), keep their garbage on their premises until designated collection points and times, worked on-site and supported in any way, including, of course, donations – every bit of positive action has had a real impact and continues to do so – Thank you!
A few major takeaways from this situation is that we all need to be much more mindful of our buying/consumer habits in order to generate less waste; recycling is a real thing – special thanks to Sizazonke, who have done five pickups with volumes growing each time; composting is really easy in our warm and wet climate; and most importantly when communities come together, anything can be achieved.
JOAN GALLAGHER
Chairperson of Bendigo Conservation Group
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