Over 80,000 volunteers attended more than 8,000 clean-ups across the country - our biggest effort yet.
The 35th anniversary of Clean Up Australia Day marked Australia’s biggest clean-up effort on record, with thousands of volunteers rolling up their sleeves across the country.
Locally, the Port Macquarie-Hastings community played a big part, with 24 events happening across the region and more still to come.
Our Local Efforts
- 11 schools and early education providers helped inspire the next generation of environmental champions.
- 1 business stepped up to contribute to a cleaner community.
- 12 community and Council teams took action across the region.
Clean-ups were held in Port Macquarie, Wauchope, Lake Cathie, North Haven, Laurieton, Beechwood, and North Shore. So far, 4.34 tonnes of waste, including 14 tyres, have been recorded, but with many groups managing their own disposal, the real total is even higher.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council has long been a proud supporter of Clean Up Australia Day. Rachel Bennett from Council’s Utilities Planning and Design team highlighted the event’s significance:
"This year, as we celebrated the 35th anniversary of the event, we couldn't be more thrilled to continue our involvement. As our society faces the ongoing challenges of reducing waste, eliminating single-use products, and transitioning to a circular economy, it’s easy to overlook the smaller, yet significant actions. Clean Up Australia Day serves as a powerful reminder that every day, we have the opportunity to make a positive impact on our community, environment, and future by removing litter from our local spaces."
Council supports the event each year by assisting groups with pick-up kits and waste collection. This year, a team of more than 20 staff, family and friends volunteered to clean up the pathway from Fisherman’s Wharf to Short Street, Port Macquarie.
Tackling illegal dumping
While community clean-ups focused on parks, beaches, and public spaces, illegal dumping remains a serious issue, particularly in state forests.
Forestry teams and volunteers took on this challenge, collecting a staggering 3.1 tonnes of waste from Cowarra and Queenslake State Forests. As Forestry Corporation Senior Field Ecologist, Mark Drury, said:
"The illegal dumping of rubbish remains a huge problem particularly in state forests that are close to towns. Unfortunately, not all visitors leave the forest how they found it and, disappointingly, a small number of people seem to see State forests as dumping grounds."
The Jolly Nose Mountain Bike Park team also filled a truck with rubbish, removing harmful waste from the environment.
Cleaning up our Waterways
In addition to land-based clean-ups, local oyster farmers played a vital role in tackling waterway pollution through the Tide to Tip clean-up initiative, led by Oceanwatch Australia. On Friday, 28th February and Saturday, 1st March, oyster farmers took to the foreshores of Camden Haven and the Hastings River to remove rubbish from their estuaries.
The clean-ups saw:
- 50kg of rubbish collected in Camden Haven, including a road sign and an old oil jerrycan.
- 320kg of rubbish removed from the Hastings River, including old timber, tyres, and plastics
Paul Wilson, a local oyster farmer from Port Oyster Company, reinforced the industry’s commitment to protecting estuaries:
The local oyster industry has always been very proactive in maintaining a pristine environment within our harvest zones and keeping a watch on any issues that may affect water quality within the estuary. We are very proud to be regarded as custodians of the waterways in which we grow and harvest our wonderful product.
Tide to Tip oyster industry waterway clean ups are supported by OceanWatch Australia through funding from the NSW Aquaculture Trust and the NSW Landcare Enabling Program. The NSW Landcare Program is a collaboration between Local Land Services and Landcare NSW supported by the NSW Government. Other partners include Port Macquarie Hastings council, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Clean Up Australia, Woodshield, and Stay Afloat.
Still more to come
Some planned clean-ups have been postponed due to weather, but they’ll still be going ahead in the coming weeks. And just because the official event is over doesn’t mean the work stops—Clean Up Australia supports community clean-ups all year round. If you’d like to get involved, visit Clean Up Australia to stay up to date or organise your own event.
