CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY... SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2024 | NORTH ARM COVE
There were just shy of 20 people at the Clean Up, almost all of whom were local residents from the village. The organisers, John and Rob, had done some recces beforehand and marked down specific pieces or piles of rubbish to be collected (see map). Almost all of these were in the non-urban section, and included mattresses, tyres, car parts, tradesmen’s waste, building waste, whitegoods and, of course, cans, bottles, and miscellaneous small items. Pairs of collectors walked the main road from the Community Hall out toward Gooreengi Rd and in the other direction toward the headland, equipped with hi-vis vests, collecting bags (separate ones for rubbish and recyclables) and gloves. Vehicles with trailers patrolled back and forth, and also went around the bush tracks to collect large items.
All the collected rubbish was brought back to the Community Hall and dumped in a pile out the back, from where the Council will come and collect it to be taken to the tip. The pile was so large that my photo doesn’t include it all and can’t possibly do it justice.
At the end of the two-hour period, everyone went back to the hall and enjoyed coffee and tea and some of Cristina’s homemade banana bread.
A couple of particularly large dumps stood out in my mind – one of 30-40 car tyres, and one of nearly a trailer-load of electrical cables, with the copper centres stripped out. Both were clearly very deliberate dumps of waste materials. Such dumps attract more dumps, in my opinion – people who see rubbish lying around tend to think they can add to it with impunity – so it’s good to remove them.
Given how much stuff gets dumped in the non-urban areas, we non-urbans have good reason to be very grateful to the villagers for their active willingness to clean up the whole area, not just the village environs. Perhaps, next year, those of us who are able to get there for the weekend could join in. You don’t have to do any more than you’re physically able to do, and everyone’s contribution is valued, no matter how large or small. It’s always the first Sunday in March, so put it in your diary now. If you still use a paper diary, make a note at the end of this year to add it into your new diary then.
And there was one heartwarming outcome, too – when the Morpeth Horse Riders Club came down a month ago to do a trail ride, they had a treasured sign go missing. It turned up during the Clean Up, so MHRC will be delighted to have it come back to them.
-- by Clare Pascoe, NACRPA member
There were just shy of 20 people at the Clean Up, almost all of whom were local residents from the village. The organisers, John and Rob, had done some recces beforehand and marked down specific pieces or piles of rubbish to be collected (see map). Almost all of these were in the non-urban section, and included mattresses, tyres, car parts, tradesmen’s waste, building waste, whitegoods and, of course, cans, bottles, and miscellaneous small items. Pairs of collectors walked the main road from the Community Hall out toward Gooreengi Rd and in the other direction toward the headland, equipped with hi-vis vests, collecting bags (separate ones for rubbish and recyclables) and gloves. Vehicles with trailers patrolled back and forth, and also went around the bush tracks to collect large items.
All the collected rubbish was brought back to the Community Hall and dumped in a pile out the back, from where the Council will come and collect it to be taken to the tip. The pile was so large that my photo doesn’t include it all and can’t possibly do it justice.
At the end of the two-hour period, everyone went back to the hall and enjoyed coffee and tea and some of Cristina’s homemade banana bread.
A couple of particularly large dumps stood out in my mind – one of 30-40 car tyres, and one of nearly a trailer-load of electrical cables, with the copper centres stripped out. Both were clearly very deliberate dumps of waste materials. Such dumps attract more dumps, in my opinion – people who see rubbish lying around tend to think they can add to it with impunity – so it’s good to remove them.
Given how much stuff gets dumped in the non-urban areas, we non-urbans have good reason to be very grateful to the villagers for their active willingness to clean up the whole area, not just the village environs. Perhaps, next year, those of us who are able to get there for the weekend could join in. You don’t have to do any more than you’re physically able to do, and everyone’s contribution is valued, no matter how large or small. It’s always the first Sunday in March, so put it in your diary now. If you still use a paper diary, make a note at the end of this year to add it into your new diary then.
And there was one heartwarming outcome, too – when the Morpeth Horse Riders Club came down a month ago to do a trail ride, they had a treasured sign go missing. It turned up during the Clean Up, so MHRC will be delighted to have it come back to them.
-- by Clare Pascoe, NACRPA member
