Key Points
- A special event brought together numerous organisations, federal and state MPs, the mayor and volunteers for a Sikh temple's green initiative in Melbourne's southeast.
- The Gurudwara organisation has been planting trees for the last five years to mark World Environment Day.
- With 200 trees planted this weekend, the total number of trees planted at the location has risen from around 1850 to over 2000.
In a bid to raise environmental consciousness, a Sikh temple in Melbourne's southeast is aiming to reduce its carbon footprint by planting trees and creating awareness around sustainable practices by involving diverse communities.
Representatives from over 50 organisations, including many political leaders, came together to mark World Environment Day at the Gurudwara premises through a tree-planting drive held on 10 June, 2023.
Harpreet Singh Kandra, a community leader and an environmental engineer who spearheaded the project, told SBS Punjabi that the aim was to educate about how to reduce our environment footprint and celebrate Australia's diversity in a greener way.
"For the last five years on World Environment Day, we have been annually planting trees, and with this year's planting of over 200 saplings, we now have 2000 trees on the temple grounds," Mr Kandra said.
"Planting is easy, but maintenance is hard. So we make sure all our trees have a high survival rate.
"We select native plants that don't need much irrigation and are suitable for the area's biodiversity."
The communal tree planting drive was attended by members of parliament, including Mr Giles, Cassandra Fernando (Member for Holt), Lee Tarlamis (Member for South Eastern Metropolitan), Emma Vulin (Member for Pakenham), Belinda Wilson (Member for Narre Warren North), Gary Maas, (Member for Narre Warren South), Cardina Deputy Mayor and Councillor, Jack Kowarzik, and Victorian Multicultural Commissioners, Vivian Nguyen and Mohamed Mohideen.
Representatives from around 50 national and local organisations including Sustainability Victoria, Melbourne Water, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Settlement Services International (SSI) were also present.
Mr Mohideen said that attendance by many of the guests, especially during a long weekend, was testimony to the interfaith/multicultural engagement that the Gurudawara and committee members were involved in.
Sharing the teachings of the Sikh faith towards the environment, Mr Kandra said, "The air is our Guru, water is our father, and the Earth is our mother. This profound wisdom teaches us to honour and cherish every element of nature and pledge to preserve a sustainable planet for future generations."
"Let's continue to sow the seeds of change and nurture them with love and care."
Click on the audio player to listen to the full interview in Punjabi.
LISTEN TO
The interview with Dr Harpreet Singh Kandra.
09:55
