Community invited to help clean up Petrie Creek and CBD

Volunteers, from left, Natalie Chappell, Soraya Mohammed Page and Jamie Slaven are keen to clean up the area around Petrie Creek for the benefit of all, including the local platypus population.

VOLUNTEERS are being called to Quota Park for this year’s Clean Up Australia Day, with organisers hoping for another strong community turnout along Petrie Creek.

Petrie Creek Catchment Care Group has coordinated the annual clean-up at Quota Park for more than 20 years, encouraging locals to help tidy the creek corridor and protect the environment.

Last year volunteers collected 29 bags of rubbish and recycling – 25 bags of general waste and four bags of recycling – filling four Council red-lid bins and two yellow-lid recycling bins.

They also removed seven shopping trolleys and a range of bulky items including a car tyre, tent poles, a single bed, star pickets, umbrella, crutches, walker chair, kitchen pots, metal fencing, books, clothing, shoes, sunglasses, footballs, blankets, coat hangers and buckets.

“There definitely was rubbish around last year so we assume it will be the same this year,” Clean Up Australia Day Site Coordinator Jamie Slaven said. Mr Slaven acknowledged there had been community concern about rubbish in parts of the creek area, including around informal camping sites.

“There has been community concern with rubbish dumped by homeless people along Petrie Creek including food waste, clothing and parts of tents,” he said.

“We are going to tread carefully to not remove items from the homeless camps if they are not rubbish.”

“Petrie Creek is home to an important Platypus population so we need to ensure their habitat remains healthy and viable into the future,” he said.

“It is also important to prevent rubbish from being washed downstream to the coast after heavy rains and the next flood.”

Volunteers will meet at the large BBQ shelter in Quota Park on Sunday March 1 from 7.30am to 10.30am. Bags and gloves will be provided and a free morning tea will be available. Register at www.cleanup.org.au or sign on at the event.

■ For more information contact Petrie Creek Catchment Care Group Inc on 0475 581 890 or 0432 567 603 (Jamie).