One of our community members reached out this week and asked if we could provide a table outlining each group’s focus areas and their methods for achieving these goals. 

The table below is based on information the candidates supplied to The Bugle.

Kiama Community Radio interviewed each of the team leaders. For more information you can access their podcasts here.

Words like sustainability can mean different things to community members.

Sustainability refers to the practice of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It encompasses three interconnected pillars: environmental protection, social equity, and economic viability. Sustainable practices aim to preserve natural resources, promote fairness and well being within communities, and foster long term economic resilience, ensuring that all systems—natural, social, and economic—can coexist and thrive indefinitely.

Sustainability is also a concept that takes on various meanings depending on the context in which it is used. Here are several definitions that highlight its different dimensions:

• Environmental Sustainability: This is perhaps the most commonly recognised definition. It refers to the responsible interaction with the environment to avoid depletion or degradation of natural resources, ensuring long term ecological balance. It involves practices that reduce the carbon footprint, protect biodiversity, and maintain clean air, water, and soil.
• Economic Sustainability: This focuses on practices that support long term economic growth without negatively impacting social, environmental, or cultural aspects. It involves balancing profit with sustainable business practices and ensuring that economic activities do not deplete resources over time.
• Social Sustainability: This emphasises the importance of creating sustainable, equitable communities. It focuses on improving quality of life, promoting social equity, and ensuring fair distribution of resources and opportunities across different segments of society.
• Cultural Sustainability: In some cases, sustainability also refers to the preservation of cultural heritage and traditions. This can mean maintaining the cultural diversity of communities while adapting to modern challenges without losing identity or traditional knowledge.
• Corporate Sustainability: For businesses, sustainability refers to balancing economic success with environmental stewardship and social responsibility. It involves adopting business strategies that ensure long term growth without negatively impacting society or the planet.
• Sustainable Development: As above is a broad term that combines environmental, economic, and social aspects of sustainability.

Each of these definitions underscores the interconnectivity of sustainability in different aspects of life, from global environmental challenges to local economic practices. Sustainability, in all its forms, encourages a balance between meeting current needs and preserving resources, ecosystems, and social structures for future generations.