Roll up your sleeves for clean up

Kirsten Hort from the Australia Seabird Rescue organisation joined Wollongong Lord Mayor David Bradbury and other members of the organisation to launch Clean Up Australia Day.

THE community is being asked to roll up their sleeves for the 26th anniversary of Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday March 6.

Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery launched the event with members of the Australia Seabird Rescue organisation today (Monday).

“Once again, we will be focussing on tidying-up our waterways, roadsides, parks, reserve beaches and bushlands,” Cr Bradbery said.

“Together we produce more than 300 million tonnes of plastic each year and nearly half of this is thrown away. Plastics in the ocean, in our waterways and our city is a pervasive problem that hurts or kills our wildlife and detracts from the beauty of our natural environment.

“Plastic from bottles has been found in a number of ocean going seabirds after they have eaten the plastic believing it to be food.

“In launching Clean Up Australia Day this year we are supported by members of the Australian Seabird Organisation which looks after sick, injured and orphaned seabirds and shorebirds. Much of this damage is caused by rubbish, particularly plastics, in the waterways or ocean.

“I’m calling on all community members to get behind this great initiative and join an existing site to help remove some of the rubbish from the city.”

There are 20 registration points throughout the city on Sunday where community members can join up. In addition there will be 40 schools taking part in the School Clean Up Australia Day on Friday.

“Previous collections have taught us that cigarette butts and plastics are easily the most commonly found rubbish in our city,” Cr Bradbery said. “It’s this plastic that causes a lot of damage as it all ends up on beaches via the stormwater system and damages or kills our marine and bird life.

“Volunteers should bring along their gloves and sturdy footwear and get ready to take part in Australia’s biggest cleaning frenzy.”

Register on the day at one of registration points. Clean up bags and registration forms will be provided on the day from 9:00am to midday.

This year’s registration points are located at:

• Bellambi Beach – 9am – 10:30am
• Bulli – Wharton’s Creek at Artis St Bridge, 9am – 12pm
• Coledale SLSC – 10am – 12pm
• Fairy Meadow McDonalds – time to come
• Helensburgh – Old Mine Surgery, Cnr Parks & Junction St, 9:30am – 12:30pm
• Otford – meet at the Tennis Courts, 9am
• Puckeys Estate – meet on the Boardwalk North Wollongong, 9am – 1pm
• Wollongong Harbour – meet Osborne Park Cliff Rd, 8:30am – 10am
• Wollongong City Beach – meet near the Ted Tobin viewing platform, 9am – 12pm
• Woonona McDonalds – 8am – 10am

For more information you can contact Council’s Customer Service on (02) 4227 7111.