Donald Area Benefits Once Again From Hobsons Bay- Altona Traders Association Relationship..

Gathered at Banyandah Nursery during their recent visit to Buloke shire were Kim Walsh president of Altona Traders Association ,his wife Sharon, Cr Leigh Hardinge  and wife Merridy, well known identity in Buloke Shire , Daryl Warren, Business Development Officer of  Hobsons Bay,with Liz Russell, proprietor of Bayandah Nursery and Treasurer of Donald and District Landcare Group, along with Cr Leo Tellefson, Chairman of Donald District Landcare Group who were accepting a $200 cheque to the group from Mr Walsh written by  the Altona Traders Association who are purchasing trees to offset the environmental effects of the Association by their normal operating activity.

Donald Landcare have offered to plant the trees which must be on non- government owned land to access carbon credits, but will certainly welcome assistance from the trader’s group if they feel able to come back and plant these trees and any others,  the president warmly suggested.

‘The trees will absorb the 5.3 tonnes of carbon emitted by the Traders Association, in their yearly activity’, said Mr Walsh, ‘and allows us to continue to assist the Altona Traders whist not impacting on the environment’.

‘The fact that they are growing in the Donald area cements our resolve to remain great friends with the Donald Chamber of Commerce and its farming and business community and strengthens the relationship started by the advent of climate change and drought when our Association came in fellowship to support the town.’

Cr Tellefson welcomed the awareness by the Altona Traders of their environmental impact, and their resolve to do something about it, thanking them for their assistance given  to a climate challenged community through both practical and moral support . ‘May the relationship between our shires and communities continue to seed, flourish and spread out as will these trees in the future’ he said.

Donald and District Landcare was one more group touched by the growing relationship between the communities and was actually a part of the original meeting of the two groups through a suburban planting with the Friends of the Kororoit creek and a later one at the Tellefson farm.

The remainder of the trees will be nurtured and planted in 2009.