Seeing rubbish dumped by the roadside is bad enough, but for Ballina Coastcare volunteers who plant, maintain, and clean up the beaches and dunes rubbish dumped or left behind by beach users can also be dangerous.
Burnt tins, plastic bottles, blankets and yoga mats were just some of the rubbish that was left behind by people apparently enjoying the natural environment of the dunes near Flat Rock beach in East Ballina earlier this month.
‘Besides being an eyesore, these thoughtless rubbish dumps mean that our community volunteers have to take extra risks to keep our dunes clean,’ said Ballina Coastcare president, Neil Denison.
‘Our Coastcare volunteers work hard already and are tired of picking up extra trash, often riddled with sharp objects. We don’t .’
Coastcare volunteers work closely with Ballina Shire Council to plant and care for beach walkways and to ensure locals and visitors can safely enjoy the littoral forests of the dunes.
As well as organising local Clean Up Australia and National Tree Planting Days, Ballina Coastcare have volunteers and school groups working the dunes on weekdays and one Sunday each month. If you would like more information on how to volunteer, or donate, or if you would like to find out more about the coastal pathways, visit Ballina Coastcare.
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