Is the newly formed Cork Environmental Forum merely an arm of Cork County Council? Not so, says its chairman, Mr Terry O'Regan, it is truly representative and will not be found wanting if criticism of the council is what's called for.
The forum was originally convened five years ago by the then Cork county manager, Mr Noel Dillon, under the auspices of the Local Agenda 21 principle adopted by the United Nations Global Conference on environment and development in 1992, which called for local and inclusive empowerment in environmental matters.
Formally launched recently in Cork, it comprises community groups, public representatives, local authority officials, representatives of industry and professional bodies, educators, farmers and environmentalists. Its aim is to achieve sustainable development in the Cork region.
During the year, the forum will become a non-profit limited company with charitable status. While it will maintain links with the council, it will be independent and will take a stand when and where necessary.
Also during the year, a series of position papers on issues such as waste, housing, roads, water, green areas and coastal management, etc, will be published.
The forum will also launch a community-based photographic exhibition with the theme "Good, Bad and Ugly". The idea will be to take the picture as things stand now and, using further photographic evidence of how things are in the months and years ahead, to compare what the position is at that stage. Later, the exhibition will tour the county.