Clean-Up Australia Day volunteer numbers were down this year but there was still plenty of rubbish to be found along Noosa’s parks and streets, waterways, wetlands, the foreshores and beaches of our beautiful region during the event last Sunday.
The national CUAD event has been coordinated locally for many years by community group, Noosa Integrated Catchment Association (NICA).
This year NICA volunteer and Noosa councillor Joe Jurisevic organised 18 registration and collection sites across the Noosa region, including six in the hinterland, three along the eastern beaches and nine around the lower Noosa River and lakes.
NICA volunteer Peter Hannam said volunteers picked up 15-20 sackfuls of rubbish including old crap pots, discarded tyres, plastic bottles and cigarette butts.
It was promising to hear there was less litter to be found at Peregian Beach where clean up organiser councillor Frank Wilkie attributed the cleanliness to the area’s beach walkers and bush care volunteers who pick up local rubbish on a daily basis.
Cr Wilkie said this year’s volunteers were mostly mums and dads and grandparents with children and grandchildren, and he was pleased to discover the school children were well aware of how to properly dispose of waste and recycle materials.
Noosa District State High School held their own Clean Up Australia Day last Friday with students taking on various tasks to keep the school grounds clean and tidy.
From clearing out bushes to tidying up the bag racks, the Pomona Campus students worked tirelessly to make the school environment a cleaner and safer place for everyone.
Mr Gordon, Year 7 coordinator of Pomona Campus, said it was a great opportunity for the students to learn about the importance of caring for the environment and taking responsibility for their actions and good to see their willingness to make a positive impact.
At the school’s Cooroy Campus 24 students volunteered their time and enthusiasm before school to clean up the environment surrounding the school. It was an early start but staff were impressed at the level of student involvement and optimism.
NICA president Angela van Boxtel described the clean up as a key part of catchment management to which everyone could make a contribution.
“Every piece of litter removed improves the natural environment on which our diverse local wildlife depends,“ she said.
