Service is social at Lucas clean-up

THIRTY community members swept the Mullawallah Wetlands precinct in teams with rubbish tongs in hand last Sunday.

As part of a Rotary-led Clean Up Australia Day initiative, the all-ages volunteers filled more than 30 bags of litter, which they collected at Centennial Park, along Link Road and Remembrance Drive, around the wetlands, and across its boardwalk.

Rick Mitchell was in one of many small groups conducting emu-bobs for rubbish and junk in Lucas, striving to keep the suburb and its green spaces beautiful, and its wildlife habitat clear of contamination.

“We walked around the beautiful swamp, and back down Remembrance Drive” he said.

“It’s been lovely to see the variety of people out and helping this morning, and it’s been great to get the kids involved as well.”

Alfredton Rotary Club drove the initiative, with on-the-day support from members of the Rotary Club of Wendouree Breakfast.

Member for Ripon Louise Staley, Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison, and State Labor candidate for Ripon Martha Haylett also took part in the clean-up morning.

Rotary District 9780 Environment and Sustainability Committee member David Sanders said one of Alfredton Rotary’s key areas of focus is the environment.

“This event, alongside our Walk Against Waste initiative, contributes to our longer-term vision to clean up the community,” he said.

“The Clean Up day has also been a nice social opportunity, with people having a yarn in their groups as they move around, so that’s been really special.”

All bags of rubbish were collected by the City of Ballarat.

Residents also took part in other registered Clean Up Australia Day events at Woowookarung Regional Park, Victoria Park, White Flat Oval, along the Yarrowee Trail in Golden Point, Redan and Magpie, at Palentino Place in Brown Hill, and The Chase playground and wetlands in Alfredton.

Tomorrow, Friday, 11 March, a Clean Up event will be run by BGT around the gardens of Barkly Square, Ballarat East from 4pm to 5pm.