Lions Club and early risers start 2022 on right foot

IT WAS another busy New Year’s Day morning for the Torquay Lions Club as the club undertook its annual start-of-the-year foreshore clean-up.

The Torquay Lions’ 2022 New Year’s early morning clean-up of the Torquay Foreshore left beaches ready for visitors before 8am thanks to the efforts from a band of early-rising club members.

According to Torquay Lions president Neil Roche, members who attended the clean-up were greatly surprised at the amount of rubbish left on the foreshore and beach this year stretching from the Torquay Surf Life Saving Club to Zeally Bay Road and Point Danger.

“The scene which greeted us this morning was horrible,” Mr Roche said.

“Cans, bottles, cartons, clothing, broken glass and even a supermarket trolley were strewed along Torquay’s foreshore.”

According to fellow member and one of the participants on the day, Peter Thomas, New Year’s Day was one of the “grubbiest” clean-ups in three or four years.

“It was as dirty as it used to be before there was lighting and fencing erected for New Year’s Eve,” Mr Thomas said.

“Of course, there was no fencing or lighting for New Year’s Eve this time around, which allowed more people than usual to go to the foreshore. As a result, one of the more commonly found items were tossed away masks.”

While the larger amount of rubbish was dealt with, the support shown by morning walkers doing their bit in removing some rubbish from the lawns was a pleasant sign for the Lions club.

The group started cleaning at 6am as the sun rose and thanks to the added support of nearby walkers, were able to have the job done for beachgoers by 7am to 7.30am.

The Lions accumulated enough rubbish to fill approximately 20 garbage bags, which were left alongside GORCAPA bins across the foreshore.

“We don’t want visitors to Torquay to experience a dirty and dangerous foreshore and beaches, which leaves a bad impression of our delightful beachfront and environs,” Mr Roche said.

“Unfortunately, glass is our biggest enemy. It is difficult to spot in the sand and grassy areas, tedious to remove, and always concerns us that we might miss some shards which can cause severe gashes in feet.”

The Torquay Lions Club has cleaned the foreshore and surrounds for several years and considers is to be the first event to take place anywhere on the Surf Coast every year.