Small effort, big reward on Clean Up Australia Day

Roll up your sleeves, put on your gloves and do your bit for the community by taking part in Clean Up Australia Day this Sunday.

This year marks the event’s 25th anniversary and organisers hope to top last year’s event which involved 572,000 volunteers collecting more than 15,708 tonnes of rubbish at 7140sites.

There are 29 registered clean-up sites around Wyndham this year, including a council-organised event at Heathdale Glen Orden Wetlands in Werribee.

Friends of Heathdale Glen Orden Wetlands member Maggie McInnes has been a part of Clean Up Australia Day for 15 years.

“Litter clogs our waterways, chokes our native animals and pollutes our home,” she said.

“Cleaning up is a great way to help prevent our local habitats from being destroyed, but we also need to do more proactive things to protect this important habitat.

“Our wetlands are only a small, fragile remnant of the swamp which once covered most of the south-western part of Victoria. Protecting and cleaning up our own area is a way of taking part in a worldwide effort.

“When we started the Clean Up Australia Day events, we were collecting seven-and-a- half trucks full of litter. Last year, we collected one truck full, which goes to show that we’re making a difference.”

People are welcome to join the clean-up at Heathdale Glen Orden Wetlands, at Kookaburra Avenue, Werribee, from 10am to noon. Bring gloves, a hat, sturdy shoes and a bottle of water.

To register, more information

Visit www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au.