Litterbugs, beware! Wyndham’s first beach patrol has hit the coastline.
Patrol volunteers from local environment groups are set to clean up the coastline from the Point Cooke Marine Sanctuary to the mouth of the Werribee River.
Member Harry van Moorst said the group would expand its clean-up area if more volunteers joined.
It is the first beach patrol to operate west of Williamstown.
Mr van Moorst said the patrol had been formed in response to the increasing amount of litter being dropped.
“Litterwatch has been active for two years in Wyndham and has been cleaning up the area and increasing community awareness of the problems with litter, particularly plastics,” Mr van Moorst said.
“But we realised that it would be good to do something more formal to target the mess that was there. The litter, particularly plastics, is a threat to flora and fauna. We should have done this earlier, but it’s better late than never.”
The group will meet once a month to tackle
particular areas, with the first meeting scheduled for July 12. After the clean-up, litter is recorded on an Australia-wide database, which tracks where and what litter is being dumped.
“We think prevention is better than a cure,” Mr van Moorst said.
Details: www.beachpatrol.com.au
