The City of Greater Dandenong typically replaces around four playgrounds per year. In the past, the old playgrounds have often gone straight to landfill.
Melinda Bell, from the Rotary Club of Greater Dandenong and Endeavour Hills, and Gavin Roberts, from the Council, have teamed up to provide an “elegant solution” to give old playgrounds a new lease on life.
The program allows local Councils to significantly reduce their carbon footprint, by avoiding sending reusable playgrounds to landfill, By refurbishing and relocating suitable playground equipment to countries that can utilize them, there is less going to waste while delivering a better outcome to the council's sustainability and waste policies.
Through Rotary’s Removal of Recycled Playgrounds (RORP) project, playgrounds are “harvested”, rejuvenated and sent to poorer countries, such as Sri Lanka, where they continue to bring joy to thousands of children. A team of hardworking Rotarians recently removed a playground from Memorial Drive, Noble Park and it has already been reconditioned and shipped off to its new home in Sri Lanka.
With her first-hand knowledge of Sri Lanka, where she supports a local school, Melinda leapt at the chance to serve both Greater Dandenong and Third World countries and to help the environment, through Rotary and RORP. Under her leadership, Rotary and Council will not only do that, but will also bring hours of healthy pleasure to many children in our part of the World.RORP is an initiative of Rotary Australia and, in its four years of operation, has already delivered over 40 playgrounds to needy communities abroad.
Rotary has been in Australia for 100 years. Membership is open to everyone and the Greater Dandenong Club is always looking for new members to help in their work, both locally and internationally. Information can be found on Facebook.