environmental

As part of its commitment to create a sustainable future, mecu has purchased its first two properties situated in Victoria's west Wimmera region.

The properties: Minimay and Judith Eardley Reserve are home to Victoria's most iconic yet endangered bird. Only an estimated 1000 South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoos remain, and these properties, with their Buloke and Desert Stringybark woodlands, provides an ideal habitat for this rare creature.

There is an urgent need to protect Australia's natural heritage on private land. Private bushland contains threatened plants and animals, which are often not found in public parks and reserves. Private bushland also acts as a buffer zone to our much-loved national parks system. With nearly 70 per cent of Victoria cleared of bush it is crucial we act now to conserve and enhance the 1,000,000 hectares of unprotected bush left on Victorian private land.

Over time further properties will be added to the mecu Conservation Landbank, mecu will work with our friends Landcare and Trust for Nature to establish management plans and plant trees in order to offset the loss of biodiversity associated with our business of banking, finance of new home constructions and greenhouse gas emmissions from cars financed with our goGreen® Car Loan. This will help us to meet our commitment of becoming carbon neutral by June 2011.

Development of the mecu Conservation Landbank would not be possible without the ongoing support mecu members give by choosing to bank with their credit union.

Click to view mecu's Convervation Landbank video presentation of Minimay.

Below are some of the pictures taken from Minimay:

by Mark Shappers

by John Tiddy

by John Tiddy

by John Tiddy