I have been "slaving over a hot computer" since the SustainaBundy idea first came to me, when the NewsMail introduced me and my husband Dean to the people of Bundaberg eight months ago. Now I can hardly believe that I hold the fruits of all my labour in my hands - The 2008 SustainaBundy Directory and Guide: how to live a GREENER life in & around Bundaberg.

The little booklet may not look like much to some people, but for the past couple days I've been running around, jumping up and down saying, "I wrote a book, I wrote a book!"

A 100 page, A5 guide printed by Fishprint on recycled paper with vegetable based inks on a waterless press, The 2008 SustainaBundy Directory and Guide is an annual publication that local residents can keep in their glove box or backpack. It includes a directory of local businesses that can help us all be more environmentally responsible at home and in the office, how-to articles on reducing consumption and waste, harvesting, storing and conserving water, natural resource management, eating fresh, local food and many more. It also includes handy calendars for regional, national and worldwide environmental events, a local produce availability guide provided by the Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers, and a guide to the various markets in the region.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this project: SustainaBundy members Jacqui McLucas, Carol Sweeney and my husband Dean, supporters Leah Jones, Dr Jill Englemann, Beth Whitworth from the Greens, Maureen Schmitt from Landcare, Sonya Wallace from the Sunshine Coast Energy Action Centre, and Nick Maclean, Carl Moller, Amy Gosley and Lee Dorahy from The Burnett Mary Regional Group for Natural Resource Management (BMRG).

We are also extremely grateful to BMRG for funding the printing of the guide and our forthcoming "got local?" companion bumper stickers. BMRG has taken delivery of 50 copies of the guide, and BMRG CEO David Brown said, "The Burnett Mary Regional Group is very impressed with the enthusiasm and interest generated by the SustainaBundy Group in such a short time and is pleased to support this initiative. This guide, and future editions, will become a valuable resource for our community, providing useful and relevant information. I look forward to strengthening our on-going relationship with SustainaBundy and the Bundaberg community."

The official 2008 SustainaBundy Directory and Guide release party will be at the SustainaBundy All Day Movie Festival on Saturday 29th March at the School of Arts Building on Bourbong Street. The guide will be available for a suggested price of $2, and SustainaBundy "got local?" bumper stickers will be available for a suggested price of $1. Larger donations are encouraged, as all proceeds will go to future SustainaBundy projects relating to energy, transport, local economy and food, waste and more. After the release party, the guidebook and stickers will be available for purchase from several local businesses and at the Shalom Markets - stay tuned for more details. Complimentary advance copies of the publication are currently being delivered to SustainaBundy members, advertisers, interested organisations and local media.

This project wasn't so much a labour of love as a labour of duty. We all need to understand the scary problems of fossil fuel depletion and climate change and begin to implement successful, proven responses - and we have to do it as soon as possible. The guidebook covers both the problems and the responses. It's not perfect and it's certainly not comprehensive, but it is an important first step in working for a sustainable Bundaberg region.

Thank you for supporting SustainaBundy.