Vista del Mar goes “Green”!

Nicholas Franklin, senior property manager at CB Richard Ellis (CBRE), explains how the Naithon Green Club – formed towards the end of April – came about, “CBRE manage a property in Naithon, and we were concerned about garbage outside the property that looked bad for visitors.

“I was aware of the excellent work of Steve Meyers, Sean Panton and Nick Anthony, who had formed a local green club supported by all the major hotels and businesses in Kamala.

“They had worked with the community to get better facilities for recycling and garbage management and collectively organised beach clean-ups.

“I wanted to try the same in Naithon and was immediately supported by the Pullman Arcadia Phuket Resort, Vista Del Mar, Trisara and Malaiwana and then by the village community.”

After the initial meeting between the aforementioned hotels, it was decided that an attempt should be made to get locals and those from other businesses and industries on-board.

Angela Fanne, sales manager from Vista del Mar, told The Phuket News that it was great to see so many local people, including taxi drivers and girls from the local massage parlours get involved.

“Around 80 people were there. It was a fun thing with everybody talking together. We would like to set up a weekly clean-up in the future,” Mrs Fanne said.

Besides the clean-ups, the Naithon Green Club are also attempting to raise money to buy recycling containers, much like they have done at the Kamala Green Club down the coast.

“We just want to make the OrBorTor’s job easier,” said Mrs Fanne.

Although the OrBoTor was not involved in this week’s event, it is Mrs Fanne’s desire that the beach clean-up, which she hopes shows a willingness of hotels in the area to keep the area clean, may foster a closer working relationship with the local government in the future.

Mr Franklin agreed, “Our next step is to work with the OrBorTor to install recycling and garbage stations to contain refuse and keep the street clean.

“Beach cleaning, including the beach road will be a regular organised activity for us.

“Working with the community, particularly the school, we hope to improve education and awareness about the local environment to protect not only the wildlife and natural beauty of the area, but also our businesses which depend on visitors.”