Community spirit strong in remote, isolated parts of northern Australia for the Great Northern Clean Up

In the far-reaches of Queensland’s Cape York lies the town of Weipa. It’s a coastal mining town and the largest on the Cape, with plenty of amenities for locals and tourists – typically fishing enthusiasts lured to the area by its abundant marine life.

Cyclone and wet seasons collide to create the perfect storm for litter to enter natural habitats and endanger wildlife. From the start of November to the end of April, the peninsula is inundated by the northwest monsoon, cyclones and intermittent downpours. Shallow rivers and creeks break their banks and join with other waterways creating a vast inland sea, isolating the town and washing away anything ‘not nailed down’.

Weipa Town Authority manages the town’s waste, and encourages people to dispose of litter responsibly. They’ve had a single-use plastic bag ban since last year, and have strong penalties for those caught littering or illegal dumping. Each year, residents are supported by extra waste pickups to clean up homes in preparation for the cyclone season.

The town also comes together to clean up the town surrounds as part of the Great Northern Clean Up.

This year, Clean Up Australia is celebrating the 10th anniversary of this flagship event for communities north of the Tropic of Capricorn.

Since its inception, more than 33,000 volunteers have removed around 2,004 ute loads of rubbish from over 1,000 locations.

Explore more Great Northern Clean Up sites and the incredible community spirit running strong in these remote communities ...

Ugar, also known as Stephen Island, is the smallest island in the eastern part of the Torres Strait Islands.
Closer to Papua New Guinea than it is to Australia, the island's population of around 80 people enjoy the rich fertile soil and dense tropical vegetation of its volcanic origin.

There is no airstrip on Ugar, members of the community, visitors travel in by chopper or dingy from nearby Islands of Darnley (Erub) and Yorke (Masig).
Their community-led clean up is focusing on the beach and foreshore line around the island. School Students will join forces with Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC) Staff, Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA), Ugaram Rangers and community.

Learn more:
https://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/fundraisers/bobmodee/ugar-island-beach-clean-up

(Photo source: Torres Strait Regional Authority)

Off the coast of the Northern Territory, the Tiwi Islands are hosting the Milikapiti Clean Up in September. The students of Milikapati School have been hosting almost daily clean ups to keep their school grounds free of rubbish, and with their participation in The Great Northern Clean Up, they will expand the work that they have been doing and teach the whole community what they’ve learned!

Learn more:
https://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/fundraisers/bridgetodwyer/milikapiti-community

This small primary school in Winton, QLD has just two classes – Prep, 1 & 2 and Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 along with two wonderful teachers, two awesome classroom school officers, a friendly school receptionist and a dedicated school principal.

On 30 August, the students, from Prep to Year 6, and the staff of St Patrick’s travelled in the local Council minibus (several trips were needed) to a large paddock next to the Winton Recreation grounds. This area was used as the Tent City for visitors to the Winton ‘Way Out West’ Festival earlier this year and looked like it would welcome a bit of a clean-up.

Students and staff gathered their bags together, put on their gloves and spread out across the paddock in teams of two, three or more. They collected lots of different types of rubbish: paper, bottle tops, plastic cups, cardboard, cloth remnants, scraps of metal, plastic bags, lolly wrappers, shoes and even some old golf balls. Their bags were then disposed of properly and the area improved dramatically from the clean up.

Well done St Patrick’s School for helping look after our community!

In Darwin, four local clubs are joining forces to host a big community Clean Up at the end of September, aiming to have 100 volunteers taking part. The local Ski Club, Bowls and Social Club, Sailing Club and Trailer Boat Club are coming together to help their members and the broader community identify local areas needing clean ups, facilitate rubbish removal and to develop a greater appreciation of their own, incredible backyard and the need to protect it.

Learn more:
https://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/fundraisers/adrianmonro/4-clubs-fannie-bay

Sarina Landcare Catchment Management Association Inc. (SLCMA) is a not-for-profit community Landcare group based just south of Mackay, facilitating a range of community events including the Great Northern Clean Up. This year they worked with community members to clean Sarina Beach and the surrounding areas.

SLCMA Coordinator Saskia von Fahland said “The biggest item of rubbish we collected was about 50m of thick weathered rope that had washed up on the beach, the yuckiest rubbish was underwear (ew!).”

In 2019, HMAS Cairns returns to The Great Northern Clean Up for their third year! Previously, a crew from HMAS Cairns undertook a kayaking expedition in Trinity Inlet to clean up local waterways, and this year they will be taking to Kurrimine Beach to clean up marine debris. The team at HMAS Cairns does a great job of removing rubbish that would otherwise be left uncollected in our waterways and oceans.

Learn more:
https://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/fundraisers/daniellebritton/MGWU-Beach-Clean-Up

Clean Up site organiser Phil started organising the Redlynch Community Clean Up after being pestered by his two daughters who wanted to make a difference in their local community.

Phil says “I love the fact that my girls and their generation are embracing the movement to really make positive changes to help our environment, particularly doing our bit to help clean up before the big wet and it washes out into the Great Barrier Reef." He says.

Learn more:
https://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/fundraisers/philipdonnelly/redlynch-community-clean-up---goomboora-park-and-surrounding-pathways

Cairns Council has long been strong supporters of the Great Northern Clean Up. This year, they have over 23 sites in the area, many of which are coming up. Check out these locations:

Holloways Beach, Machans Beach, Smithfield, Pirate Footy Fields, Treeforce Lower Freshwater Rd, Redlynch Community Clean Up, Cairns Esplanade North, Lily Creek, Parramatta Park, Saltwater creek, Chinese friendship Garden, Mooroobool, Giangurra Park, Clean Up St Marys, Forest Gardens, Norman Park, Lake Barrine, Lake Tinaroo, Herberton, Mission beach, Tully and Hull Heads.

For more information about how Cairns Council supports these events, visit:
https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/community-environment/sustainability/great-northern-clean-up

There are many more incredible volunteers conducting clean ups as part of the Great Northern Clean Up. We will continue to highlight their significant contributions and the remarkable environmental outcomes over the coming month.

Thank you to everyone who helps make the Great Northern Clean Up possible.

To read more about The Great Northern Clean Up, or to register your own event, please visit https://www.cleanup.org.au/the-great-northern-clean-up