THIS year is different, however we are still being asked to dig in, don our gloves and pick up rubbish while participating in the grass roots movement Clean Up Australia Day.

The question is “How Will You Step Up?”

What was started thirty years ago, by an “average Australian bloke” who had a simple idea to make a difference in his own backyard has now become the nation’s largest community-based environmental event.

There are already clean ups booked in and around Port Stephens.

Bagnalls Beach, Shoal Bay Beach, Fingal Bay North and Nelson Bay Marina have clean-ups scheduled on the peninsula.

With Raymond Terrace Tidy Towns organising one clean up and another with the Scouts at River Front Park also set for a Clean Up.

In Medowie it’s the Medowie Mumpreneurs that are carrying the banner along with Pacific Dunes Golf Course.

Anna Bay has a clean up at the proposed site for the All Abilities Playground one at the Ocean Avenue toilet block and another at the Anna Bay Scout Hall.

Of course more clean ups are being registered with Clean Up Australia Day in the lead up to the event on 7 March.

Schools and Businesses are being called on to participate in the event which literally sees thousands of tonnes of rubbish removed from our environment every year.

Kelly Hammond of Anna Bay has registered a Clean Up Australia Day Event at the proposed site for the All Abilities Park at Anna Bay.

Kelly participated in Clean Up Australia Day at Anna Bay in 2020 and saw first hand the difference that can be made when the community simply picks up the rubbish.

She told News Of The Area, “Anyone can register and I would encourage as many locals to register an event as possible as numbers at each individual clean up are limited due to COVID-19 restrictions.”

If you don’t want to be the one to register an event you can join a local one on the Clean Up Australia Day website at www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au.

 

By Marian SAMPSON