Colin was a great advocate of gardeners' rights. Although this may seem ambiguous, there was a feeling amongst many gardeners in Australia that they are being wrongly targeted as the culprits behind Southeast Queensland's (and wider Australia's) water shortage problems. Colin was advocating the health benefits that gardening has to offer people of all ages, especially the elderly, and that there are "water wise"" ways to garden. Colin in particular took it upon himself to stand up for gardeners. His goal was to show the inequities of blaming gardeners for water shortages whilst allowing other members of society such as some irresponsible members of the industrial and commercial sectors to get away with their continued abuses of the system. These views were expressed in many of his presentations and speeches and for this he was very popular with thousands of gardeners who feel vilified.