By Oliver Lees
The Melton Environment Group (MEG) will stop operating after June 2022, after the club’s committee decided it was an appropriate time to wind up its activities due to an ageing and dwindling base of volunteers.
Led by president Dayl Akers, MEG has been a fixture of the Melton community, educating people on the importance of environmental preservation, while also leading projects and working bees.
In 2013, the organisation received the Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria Sustainable Cities Award for its Bio-links, Birds and Blogging project at the Creekline Grassy Woodland.
The group has also regularly ventured out to Arnolds Creek for planting and weeding activities, in an attempt to strengthen Melton’s wildlife corridor.
Mr Akers said as proud as he was of the group’s work, he felt it had reached the end of its life.
“The pandemic over the last couple years really sounded the death knell for groups like ours, as older members passed away and retired from the group,” Mr Akers said.
“There are some younger people who are interested [in the environment]. It’s good to see The Friends of Melton Botanic Gardens and the Eynesbury Environment Group are both thriving.
“Things have a natural lifespan, they thrive and then they slow down.”
Mr Akers said he had seen Melton change and develop before his very eyes.
“These are a lot of people here with their young families, they’re fairly busy. They’ve got to pay the mortgage and there’s a lot more pressure on people I think,” he said.
“There’s also a lot of people newly arrived from inner-city areas, and they don’t really have the connection with the local environment out here.
Mr Akers said he would continue to involve himself in the Eynesbury and Pinkerton landcare groups.
“We need to take care of our local environment. [Melton is] one of the fastest growing areas in the state, there’s a huge amount of development. But as much as we need development, we need to protect what’s left of our natural environment,” he said.
