Approximately two large skip bins of rubbish were removed from loal beaches by more than 120 enthusiastic volunteers in last Sunday’s annual Great Cooktown and Surrounds Beach Clean-up.
A bit thank you goes out to all those who turned up to clean seven beaches from Archer Point to Elim Beach.
Cyone ita didn’t put an increase on the rubbish on our beaches by much, and every year the amount of rubbish found on our beaches is still decreasing.
Unusual items are still being found with The Lure Shop providing gift vouchers for the most unusual item found.
This year, the pricze whento a large buoy washed up on North Shore.
Other pieces in contention for the prize were an army container found by one of the children at Archer Piont, an ‘old school’ TV at Walker Bay and a large Marjong tile at Cape Bedford.
At Walker Bay, 24 volunteers removed half a skip bin of rubbish – less rubbish than last year, especially now with the sand bar gone from the mouth of the Annan River.
Their job was finished by about 10.30am.
Three quarters of a skip bin of rubbish was removed from the North Shore by 54 volunteers, but it wasn’t easy. With the North Shore track out of action, access for vehicles was almost impossible, but we did manage to get a quad bike and trailer over there with the assistance of Roland, Albay, Eric an dCraig. So an expecially big thank you goes to them for transporting everyone safely and removing rubbish back to the mainland.
Tangaroa Blue have now identified Cape Bedofrd as an area in which plenty of rubbish is accumulated, so that locaiton has been included as part of their annual week-week long clean-up. Twenty volunteers removed rubbish from southern Cape Bedford on Sunday.
Archer Point was another location to record less rubbish removed compared to last year, with the 23 volunteers who turned up there happy about how clean the area was.
The Archer point crew managed to collect 50 bags of rubbish, which filled about one half of a skip.
At Quarantine Bay, a family removed one and a quarter bags of rubbish, while two volunteers walked to Cherry Bay and collected two bags, a tyre and some timber; and at Finch Bay one bag was filled.
And to top the day off, during the our volunteers’ thank you BBQ at the Fishing lease, we had a surprise visit from Premier Campbell Newman, who camd down and saw what a great community we have here.
Thanks to Queensland Fire and Rescue service for providing safety demonstrations to the volunteers ensuring people woudl be safe should they discover poisonous Aluminium Phosphide Canisters. No canisters were found on our beaches during out clean up or over the last three months.
Special thanks to all the sponsors, supporters, and organisers, without you the event would not happen.
They include: Cook Shire Council, Yuku Baja Muliku, Cape York Landcare, South Cape York Catchments, Cape York Weeds and Feral Animals Program, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Cooktown Golf Links, Tangaroa Blue, Cornetts IGA Cooktown, The Lure Shop, Cooktown Bakery, Cooktown Hardware, Ice Works, Endeavour Lions Club, Italian Restaurant, Cooktown Quality Meats, Hope Vale Butcher, Cooktown local News and all the volunteers for their ongoing support and huge efforts on the day.
By Kama Miller, South Cape York Catchments
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