The South Coast Environment Centre will close its doors in September after funding changes by the State Department for Environment and Water.

The Centre, located in Coral Street in Victor Harbor, has provided practical and financial support to local environment groups and initiatives for more than nine years.

They recently sponsored two local cafes to conduct trials to see how much food waste could be diverted from landfill.

They also support groups like the Friends of the Hindmarsh River Estuary, Victor Harbor Coastcare, the Boomerang Bag Movement and several native animal conservation programs, including ones on Kangaroo Island after the recent devastating fires.

Committee Chair and founding committee member Mrs Anita Leak said “We are very sad to announce the impending closure of South Coast Environment Centre".

"Following changes to funding previously given to run our operations, a once-off grant has been offered to allow all Environment Centres within the Hills and Fleurieu and Northern and Yorke Landscape SA Board regions to continue for 12 months whilst actively planning to become more financially independent from 2022/23.”

“Our volunteer Management Committee considered long and hard all our possible options but, following good governance policies and procedures we have in place as an incorporated association, made the difficult decision that we could not fulfil all the requirements set out in that 12-month grant if we accepted it.

"With no other option to obtain external funding, we will wind down operations.

“We are very proud of what the Centre and Committee have achieved during our time and many of the programmes and activities that have been set up and encouraged will continue.

“We are incredibly proud to have worked with the local community and have put on a large number of public events and activities over the years, including free movie nights, presentations and talks on a wide variety of conservation, environment and sustainable living topics.

“We'll post some highlights of our achievements and ongoing activities over the next few weeks and confirm other arrangements we are putting in place for a number of our activities to continue, including recycling currently done through the Centre.”