Tyres, car seats and wooden pallets were among the 2.9 tonnes of rubbish collected across Lake Macquarie for Clean Up Australia Day on March 6.
The mammoth effort saw thousands of volunteers work across more than 75 sites in the area, the highest number registered in any local government area in the Hunter region.
Lake Macquarie Mayor, Kay Fraser, who joined clean-up efforts at Redhead on March 6, said she was thrilled to see the community rallying together to help the environment, despite the wet weather.
“It’s fantastic to see people of all ages and walks of life helping to beautify and preserve our landscape,” Cr Fraser said.
“Unfortunately, littering and illegal dumping is still an issue across Lake Mac and we’re calling on all residents to do the right thing by putting their rubbish in the bin, and taking larger items to our Awaba Waste Management Facility.”
The 75 sites were registered across the city’s foreshore, bushland, beaches and parks, however a number of scheduled activities were postponed due to wet weather, including those at Warners Bay, Rathmines and Cameron Park.
Dudley Public School Parents and Citizens spokesperson Robin Simpson said around 30 volunteers braved the weather to clean a 1.4 kilometre stretch in the neighbourhood.
“We were able to collect six bags of rubbish which was mainly plastic wrapping, cigarette butts and polystyrene,” Simpson said.
“The little ones really loved the hands-on experience and we hope that it teaches them healthy habits for life.”
Redhead Sustainable Neighbourhood Group site leader Paul Hubbard led a dedicated team around Redhead Beach.
“There’s a lot less rubbish here than previous years which is good to see,” Hubbard said.
“However, we are finding a lot of micro plastics which are small bits of plastic bottles and that type of thing which isn’t healthy for the marine life.”
Lake Macquarie City Council Manager Community Partnerships Andrew Bryant congratulated the community on its efforts and encouraged local volunteers to help preserve the environment year-round.
“I urge residents to take a look at the amazing sustainability programs on offer here at Lake Mac to help build on the weekend’s efforts,” Bryant said.
Information source: Lake Macquarie City