JIM FAGAN
A call to bring back the “Do the Right Thing” anti-litter campaign of the 1980s has been made by a despairing Councillor Joe Jurisevic, co-ordinator of the Clean-Up Australia Day in Noosa.
The campaign is widely regarded as being responsible for a behavioural change in illegal dumping in Australia and, faced with an overwhelming 28.5 tonnes of collected rubbish this year Cr Jurisivec is looking for a repeat. “When we were kids there used to be a national ad – “Do the Right Thing” – but you don’t see that anymore. I’d love to see it brought back. I don’t understand why we’ve lost the message that dumping in the bush is not on. It is a blight against everybody in the community. “There is a throwaway society out there that thinks nobody cares but we do care.” Last week Noosa Today reported how available figures to date showed nine tonnes of rubbish had been collected from 30 sites by a record 660 volunteers and how Cr Jurisivec believed this figure would double once more illegal dumping spots had been identified. “I was staggered when I was told the numbers had more than tripled,” he said on Monday. Ringtail Creek Forest was a major contributor with 21.6 tonnes. Cr Jurisevic consulted with forestry management and asked the local 4WD club to volunteer in assisting forestry staff and a handful of neighbouring volunteers to tackle the vast quantity of rubbish within the forest boundaries. Using two tip trucks and a small track loader, 4WD utes and trailers and a 10 cubic metre skip, the team removed six truckloads and a full skip which made a huge impact on improving the state and safety of the forest area. There were also several car bodies and large metal items removed by a contractor in the week before the clean-up, so the total could have been far greater. Cr Jurisevic said: “We’ve got to change our ways,” he said. “This is getting out of control. Council is currently having a waste management strategy review and all this information will be taken on board. There has to be a compromise position somewhere that everyone can live with. “Council law officers have issued fines for minor offences but detecting these people is not an easy thing. There has to be evidence. That’s where the community has to say this sort of behaviour is not acceptable and if we see it happening we will report it. “But the big stick isn’t the answer. To me the process should be making people understand. By highlighting how bad the situation is I’m hoping people will realise how much rubbish is out there and that will make them sit up and take notice.”
