Councillor cleans up to keep beach blue

TO MAINTAIN Westbrook beach’s Blue Flag status, Ward 36 councillor Geoff Pullen, 69, has taken it upon himself to keep it clean and attractive.

Three years ago, Westbrook became a pilot Blue Flag beach and it was awarded Blue Flag status in 2015. The next assessment will be done in October and Pullen hopes it will retain its status.

Blue Flag status is awarded to beaches based on their cleanliness and safety.

Pullen said he collected litter off the beach in his spare time.

His ward runs from the Tongaat River to the umhlanga River, which includes a number of well-used beaches.

Westbrook is situated on the Dolphin Coast, between La Mercy and Ballito on the Kwazulu-natal north coast.

Pullen has spent more than three decades in community service and was striving for safety and cleanliness for all the beaches.

He said having grown up along the coast, he was naturally attuned to its welfare.

“Our beaches are a good indicator of how we treat our environment.the rubbish we drop ends up in storm water drains, streams, and rivers – which ultimately flow into the sea. “Much of it gets washed up on our beaches. The main concern is plastic waste.

Polluted water entering the sea is another issue.”

He noted his memorable highlights when South Africa became the first country, outside Europe, to implement the Blue Flag programme.

Also when the first was awarded to South Beach in Durban in 2001.

And by 2007, the city had six full Blue Flag beaches, including Westbrook.

“Our sea was being polluted by factories,” he said.

“One of the standards set for Blue Flag beaches is the DA ward councillor Geoff Pullen and lifesavers, from left,ayanda Tsekiso, Xolani Ngcobo and Phlani Mngomezulu are working hard to ensure Westbrook Beach retains its Blue Flag status. level of E Coli contamination.

“We know that warmblooded creatures contribute to E Coli, which can find its way into the sea.

“The city’s challenge is to ensure our ocean’s E Coli levels are within acceptable limits.

“Cooking and braais, dogs and fishing are therefore not permitted in the Blue Flag beach managed area.

“Further away, these activities are not a problem as any pollution as a result gets diluted sufficiently by the sea.

Enjoy your time at the beach… just leave your footprints, he said.

Pullan said once people understood how important beaches are to humankind, they come on board.

“Education is, therefore, a critical part of looking after this valuable resource.”

He lauded the Keep Tongaat, umdloti and Verulam Beautiful Associations which also conduct beach clean-ups constantly.

He said the organisations, made up of volunteers, were partially funded by the ethekwini municipality.

Although the funding has ceased, he suggested that corporate sponsorship be an alternative, possibly from the tourism industry.

He said the Glass Recycling Company has a bottle bank at the beaches, which reduces the glass waste in the area.

Pullen said he was currently trying to get the clean-up of litter in his ward to be done by locals.