By Nangamso Mabindla
21 October 2005

BUFFALO CITY has an international-grade beach. This was acknowledged during a ceremony at Gonubie Beach in East London on Friday, 21 October, where a Blue Flag was raised.

The Blue Flag Campaign, an initiative of the Foundation for Environmental Education, is an eco-label awarded to beaches and marinas in 34 countries across Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada and the Caribbean.

It encourages sustainable development at beaches and marinas through looking at a number of criteria, including water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, safety and other services provided at the beach in question.

Speaking at the hoisting of the flag, the City's manager for amenities, Willie Maritz, said the municipality had worked hard to ensure that Gonubie Beach met interational standards. "Gonubie meets the qualities needed to be awarded Blue Flag status; our water quality is good and we do regular checkups to ensure it stays that way."

Also, the beach had good lifeguard facililties and environmental education posters aimed a educating beachgoers about safety, the importance of keeping the beach clean and other tips.

"But we should remember that this is a pilot project that will run until October next year, so we need to maintain our standards so that we keep our status."

Maritz also said having a Blue Flag beach at Gonubie would help to increase the number of tourists to the city. "I think this will be one of our best holiday seasons yet," he added.

Ward councillor for Gonubie Chester Woodhall said the Blue Flag was an achievement for Buffalo City, tourism and Gonubie. "This shows that we have lifted up our standards and the hoisting of the Blue Flag here bears testimony to that."

After the formalities the flag was hoisted by Woodhall and senior beaches superintendent Allen Zealand.

Blue Flag status is issued for a year at a time, renewable provided the strict criteria are met.