Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie is encouraging regional communities to join this weekend’s Clean Up Australia Day.
The event, which has been running for more than 20 years, has become an important community event, bringing together local residents to clean up their parks, beaches, creeks and rivers.
Bendigo is a great example. This year organizers are hoping to see hundreds of residents at planned clean-up sites at Kennington Reservoir, Strathdale Park, at Barnadown Road, Long Gully Creek, Happy Jacks Reserve, Spring Gully Creek, Edwards Road at Marong and at Lake Eppalock.
Senator McKenzie is asking people to spend a few hours with their local group on Sunday.
“This isn’t just about Clean Up Australia Day. It’s also about building communities and caring for our regional environment,” she said.
Details of local events and co-ordinators can be found on the Clean Up Australia website: www.cleanupaustralia.org.au.
Business can also play their part with Clean Up Business Day on Tuesday 26 February.
The Schools Clean Up Day will be held on Friday, March 1.
“The Clean Up Australia Day is practical way for people to be involved in caring for their local environment,” Senator McKenzie said.
“More than half a million people joined last year’s event, collecting 16,169 tonnes of rubbish at 7,363 sites.
“We hope that this year even more people will be involved,” she said.
The Coalition is committed to improving Australia’s environment and if elected will launch a Green Army of 15,000 young people to undertake local environment projects.
Our plan is for Green Army teams to be working across the country on projects such as repairing walking tracks, cleaning up waterways, removing weeds, planting vegetation or building boardwalks. They will operate as a team of ten, with a paid supervisor and nine trainees, who will receive hands on training and complete a formal qualification. We are currently finalising proposals for Green Army projects and encourage local environment groups and councils to put forward their project submissions,” Senator McKenzie said.