Help clean up the Yarrowee River

COLIN Palmer, Ballarat resident and keen walker of the Wallaby Track that meanders alongside the Yarrowee River in Redan, is calling for help on Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday, 3 March.

The river drains the majority of water from Ballarat metropolitan area.

“It’s an area on the Yarrowee where the amount of litter is overwhelming,” said Mr Palmer.

“It is rubbish that comes from the drainage system down the creek.”

Mr Palmer has been working on Clean Up Australia day for eight years, along the stretch of river just near the Leith Street Bridge.

“Each year up to 100 kgs of plastic are removed from the area, with the increase of plastic packaging the litter problem is increasing also,” he said.

Twenty or so volunteers attend the site each year but there is always more to do.

“Come prepared to pick up litter, wear some sturdy dirty shoes, a sun hat, and some gardening gloves,” Mr Palmer said.

He also said the Clean Up Australia website, where there are three or four sites listed in Ballarat, makes it easy for people to get involved

Community members interested in helping should meet on the bridge at Prest Street, Mt Pleasant at 10am on Sunday, 3 March. The clean-up finishes at 12pm.