Gallery: Woombye Community not afraid to get dirty (or wet) on Clean Up Australia Day
True community spirit shone through, despite pouring rain and terrible conditions.
This year’s Clean Up Australia Day was a big success for Woombye. Over a tonne of rubbish was pulled from a small area of bushland off Woombye-Palmwoods Road, with high praise for the four organizations that came together on a rain soaked Sunday morning on the 1st of March.
Woombye Community & Business Association (WCBA) president Milo Frawley said "that was one wet day, but the crew of 10 joked and smiled as they got the job done".
“With a six-hour window to haul up as much rubbish as they could from an embankment off Woombye-Palmwoods Road, the crew went to work. There was only 10 minutes to spare, but all the dumped rubbish was removed. It was estimated to weigh well over a tonne,” he said.
The WCBA joined forces with the Nambour and Maleny SES, along with the Woombye State School P&C and the Community Bank Woombye (Bendigo).
“The technical expertise of the SES was essential to the success of the day,” Mr Frawley said.
“The rubbish was hauled up 15-30 meters of an embankment that sloped more than 50 degrees. The ground was either mud or leaf litter with very little traction, and the rain was frequent and included some heavy showers. But motivation and commitment were high.”
"We collected so much rubbish that was carelessly dumped there 10 or maybe 20 years ago," said Jill Kuramoto, a volunteer on the day and one of the Directors on the Community Bank Woombye Board of Directors.
"The garbage included a fridge, a freezer, computer, televisions, ovens, mattresses, two tractor tyres, and so many car tyres, I stopped counting at 40! The Sunshine Coast Council was generous in agreeing to come and collect the mountain of waste from a nearby site.”
“The weather was foul, and as a result the planned clean up at Woombye State School was cancelled,” explained Mr Frawley.
Yet true community spirit shone through as members of the P&C drove to the site, set up a sausage sizzle, then fed and hydrated the crew.
Mr Frawley gave a big shoutout to all the volunteers and for the messages of support and thanks received from the community.
"Woombye...I cannot think of a better place to live.”
