Rubbish Rangers Torquay chapter launch

A THIRD chapter of the Surf Coast Rubbish Rangers launched in Torquay over the weekend.

The volunteer-based groups, already operating for years in Aireys Inlet and Anglesea, dedicate an hour each Saturday morning to picking up rubbish, followed by a coffee at a nearby cafe.

Members of the new Torquay chapter, Dean Walton and wife and Mel Howard, already spend over 20 hours a week picking up rubbish.

“Did it for eight years where we used to live in Melbourne … probably about 12 months down here,” Mr Walton said.

“Started off just one day picking up a few things that were on the side of the road and then it just grew from there.

“Once you start, it’s hard to stop.

“It’s good fun, I enjoy doing it and I know people appreciate it.”

Each week the pair pick up rubbish along the beach and foreshore between Point Impossible and Point Danger, and back into the Torquay township.

Initially the exercise was largely done on foot, but Dean Walton recently rigged a bin carrying buggy to the back of his bike increasing the area he can cover, including the Surf Coast Highway on the western side of Torquay.

“The brakes gave out on me coming back down the hill from Jan Juc the other day which was fun, but the bike’s fixed now.”

The Surf Coast Highway is an ongoing hotspot for rubbish, particularly on the northern end of Torquay where the majority of development is occurring and especially after windy days.

“Judging by the rubbish we find, a lot of polystyrene and building product wrapping, I’d say much of it comes from building sites, people not strapping it down.”

When he and wife Mel first tackled the highway in Torquay’s north, they were astonished by the amount of rubbish they collected.

“From South Beach Road to Darian Road, both sides and the median strip, we took we think about 34 garbage bags full of rubbish, which was either rubbish or recycling.

“We do the Surf Coast Highway every Sunday morning … there’ll be two flouro vested people walking up and down the highway.

“It’s getting a lot better now, we probably only do maybe a bag, a bag and a half, maybe two depending on how windy it’s been, if it’s been really windy, rubbish accumulates really fast.”

The Surf Coast Shire assists with the group’s waste disposal by offering free vouchers to the Anglesea tip, although the new Torquay chapter is hoping to gain access to the more convenient local council drop-off point in Messmate Road.

“Bunnings have been great, they’ve allowed us to put a bag of rubbish in their front bin, otherwise we use the bins scattered around Torquay.”

The Torquay Rubbish Rangers meet on Saturdays at 9am opposite the Front Beach Cafe.