Sunshine Coast cleans up

Around 1400 registered volunteers pitched in to help make the Sunshine Coast environment a cleaner place, picking up 207 wheelie bins of rubbish across the past week as part of Clean Up Australia Day.

There were 98 registered Sunshine Coast clean up sites including 27 schools, and 71 Clean Up Australia Day sites and another 25 sites coordinated by Goodlife Community Centre.

Groups collected almost eight tonnes of general rubbish – the equivalent to 186 wheelie bins– and recycled almost one tonne or 21 wheelie bins.

Service Delivery Councillor Winston Johnston, who participated in the Palmwoods clean-up, said in 2021, Clean Up Australia Day on the Sunshine Coast became Clean Up Australia Week, with our amazing schools, businesses and community groups all helping the Sunshine Coast shine.

“I was proud to join in with the large number of people who took part in the clean up event organised by the Palmwoods Business Association, and to be part of a community who is safely picking up any misplaced rubbish, whenever they’re out enjoying the Sunshine Coast,” Cr Johnston said.

“This year many regular groups noted much less rubbish in parks and reserves, however there were still some old glass and plastic bottles, and takeaway plastic containers and drink cups, along with a lot of cigarette butts and soft plastic food packets.

“Almost all beach sites reported small soft plastic food packets and cigarette butts, and many reported used dog poo bags left on the beach.

“Council proudly supported the event through the Waste 2 Resource program, by assisting groups to organise their events, and providing free collection and disposal of all clean up waste.” 

Cr Johnston said Council was proud to recognise, raise awareness for, and support the many amazing groups and individuals who led our region’s clean-up activities this year.

“The great results would not be possible without community groups, school and early learning centre leaders calling their communities to action,” Cr Johnston said.

“Clean Up Australia Day site coordinators were instrumental in advising volunteers on procedures and assisting in allocating areas for clean up.

“Some site coordinators managed large groups over wide areas such as the Goodlife Community Centre, Maleny Blackall Range Lions, Friends of Currimundi Lake, Currimundi Catchment Care Group, Daley’s Turf Farm, Palmwoods Business Association and Joanne Turner from Obi Obi Creek, Maleny.

“The number of schools registered for Clean Up Australia Day was high again this year and many schools and early learning centres registered a clean-up site outside their school grounds.”

Some of these include:

• Mountain Creek State School teamed up with TurtleCare to help around Buddina Beach area – 24 students and adults cleaned up hundreds of pieces of microplastics found along Buddina Beach
• Sunshine Coast Grammar School put the call out and almost 150 students and adults cleaned up Point Arkwright, collecting nearly 40kg in waste and recycling
• Immanuel Lutheran College called on their EcoClub and more than 20 students and adults cleaned up Lake Kawana beaches and park collecting almost 25kg of waste and recycling material
• Marist College Ashgrove took on the Wurtulla Beach and 63 students and adults collected almost 40kg of waste and recycling material from the area
• Mount Coolum Day Care had 21 children and adults head down to Mudjimba Beach and Power Memorial Park to pick up all the tiny bits of plastic and rubbish they could find
• Currimundi Childcare and Education Centre organised their families to clean up at Crummunda Park and the northern bank of Currimundi Lake. Just over 40 children and parents collected more than 50kg of glass bottles, soft plastics and other items off the shores of the lake
• Caloundra Community Kindergarten helped out around the Caloundra Cricket grounds.