CLEAN UP Australia Day is an important day for the Whitsundays, with the region’s waterways and coastal areas in need of a helping hand.
Despite the hot and humid conditions, on Sunday (March 3), people came out in force to do their bit.
More than 60 locals headed to Coral Sea Marina to participate in its annual Clean Up Australia Day event.
The event was hosted in partnership with Tangaroa Blue and Reef Clean, and more than 100kg of litter was collected from Cannonvale Beach to the Airlie Beach foreshore.
The passionate team from Tangaroa Blue sorted a huge sample of the litter collected and entered the data into the Australian Marine Debris Initiative database.
This provides a valuable source of measured information, from which education and source reduction programs can be developed.
From discarded clothing to food packaging and car parts, all types of litter was collected throughout the day.
Coral Sea Marina’s head of marketing and business development Joscelyn O’Keefe was delighted with the turnout.
“This was our biggest year yet in terms of volume collected – 100kg of litter in two hours is a terrific effort from all those who participated,” she said.
“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who gave up their morning in the sweltering heat to give back to our beautiful region.”
Meanwhile, the team at bareboat company Whitsunday Escape, in Airlie Beach, also did their part in cleaning up the region.
A total of 32 staff members and their families went out, on Sunday.
“This year, we found around 120kg of trash at Double Cone Island, considerably less than last year, which we see as a big win!” sales and marketing manager Beth Sutherland said.
“Most of the items were plastic, which we hope can be recycled.”
Lots more photos on page 24 of the Whitsunday News newspaper, issue March 6, 2024.
