JIM FAGAN
Clean Up Australia Day volunteers on Sunday collected about nine tonnes of rubbish in Noosa and co-ordinator Councillor Joe Jurisevic thinks the potential for another nine tonnes would be there if they went out tomorrow.
“There is still a lot of rubbish out there. We could go close to getting the same again. We only have a three-hour window one Sunday morning a year and there are hot spots for rubbish dumping I’m not aware off. We need to identify them. “We had skips all over the region filled to overflowing. I’m bitterly disappointed that so much of the amount of rubbish we collected could actually be taken to the tip for free and that we found bottles and cans on the roadside that should be going into bins.” On Sunday a record number of 500-plus volunteers signed up at the Clean Up Day’s 30 registration sites. “Our previous best was just over 400 and it shows there are people in our community with a passion to try to make a difference,” Joe said. “There are people in this place who care so much they will come out and do whatever it takes. Some pick up rubbish every day. If they take the dog for a walk, they have a second bag with them to clean up the place.” Glass bottles and plastic bottles were the most common items collected and at Peregian Beach 1000 cigarette butts were put in bags. Drinking straws, coffee cups, even mattresses and tyres were high on the list. Said Joe: “I’m almost ready to turn around and start another campaign. Park your car somewhere and walk 200 metres with a bag and pick up rubbish. It is just disgraceful.” Reminded that throwing a cigarette butt out of a car window could mean a $330 fine, Joe said “the hard part is catching people doing it. A lot think they can get away with this sort of stuff but nobody likes to wave a big stick. Honestly, that’s the last resort. I would rather turn around and see people accept the responsibility and know that it is the wrong thing to do rather than go out and threaten them with a fine. “What we are seeing here that is so troubling to me is that, after 20 years of Clean Up Australia Day, the message that keeping Australia clean isn’t just one day a year but every day just isn’t getting through.”
