Foreshore friends to care for coast
The newly formed East Busselton Foreshore Friends Group is part of an initiative to foster community guardianship and support the City of Busselton’s management of the foreshore.
Focusing on a 3km strip of the shoreline from Ford Road to Freycinet Drive, the group’s main focus will be to improve the health and visual amenity of landscape considered degenerative, according to volunteer Judy Burgess.
“There’s about 90 per cent weed cover through this area,” she said.
“The City has been excellent in creating paths to focus foot traffic off the dunes but what they need help with now is planting, weeding and for people to watch out for rubbish dumping.”
Ms Burgess said the support group was formed to foster a sense of ownership by the community. Busselton father and volunteer Peter Beard said he considered activities such as community weeding, planting and rubbish prevention “a small ask for a big contribution”.
“It’s the responsibility of the community to leave this place better than we found it,” he said.
“Protecting what we have is essential for sustainability for future generations and to continue attracting tourists here.”
Ms Burgess said she wanted to assure property owners with homes on the foreshore the works would not “interrupt their (ocean) views” and she hoped to work with them .
The group’s activities kick off with a nature walk from the Ford Road carpark on Friday, March 23, at 9.30am.
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