IT was colourful and joyful in Hawks Nest last weekend as the community came together in support of the Boomerang Bags’ plastic free hour on Saturday morning.

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‘’We’ve had a fabulous response,” Boomerang Bags’ Julie Sims told News Of The Area.

To bring about the plastic free hour took a lot of hard work and foot slog by the Boomerang Bags volunteers.

Firstly, there were the volunteers who created 160 handmade bags from donated fabric and material to sell on the day.

Then more leg work to enlist the support of 50 businesses in Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest.

IGA’s Peter Trappel didn’t hesitate.

“We actually did a month of plastic bag free in Dungog recently, so when Boomerang’s Brooke Feltis approached us here we were very keen to support them,” Peter said.

Local State MP Kate Washington was also on hand, only too happy to lend her ongoing support having recently championed the Tea Gardens Hawks Nest plastic free campaign on the floor of the NSW Parliament.

“It’s fantastic when the community comes together to bring about change,” Kate said.

Again behind the scenes, the local Men’s Shed had created and crafted the wooden stands to hang the bags from.

And what Saturday morning event would be complete without the Lions Club and a sausage sizzle.

The Boomerang Bag movement, which was started by just two women from Queensland’s Burleigh Heads is now a world wide initiative.

If you missed Saturday’s event – they’ll be back to do it all again with more bags to sell at the Myall River Festival on Saturday 28 October.

By Margie TIERNEY