Mayor's Weekly Message

Manly Council cleans up in anti-litter education awards

11 Jan 2014

Happy New Year and may I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2014.

Manly has got off to a great start with Manly Council winning three new awards for litter reduction and waste education initiatives, including:

  • The New South Wales and Sydney/Illawarra Region Keep Australia Beautiful ‘Clean Beaches Awards’ for Litter and Waste Management, and
  • a ‘Highly Commended’ in the NSW Local Government ‘Excellence in the Environment Awards’ for Communication, Education & Empowerment in recognition of Council’s ‘LitterGuards’ litter reduction education program.

The Keep Australia Beautiful ‘Clean Beaches Award’ for Litter & Waste Management acknowledges the Manly community’s commitment to litter prevention, management, and education programs.

Manly Council's unique ‘LitterGuard’ program was Highly Commended in the Communication, Education & Empowerment category in the Local Government Environment Awards which acknowledge outstanding achievements by Local Government in managing and protecting the environment

The ‘LitterGuard’ volunteers have had a positive impact on reducing litter levels on Manly’s iconic ocean beach simply by coaxing teenagers and families with young children to sign ‘pledges’ to dispose of rubbish thoughtfully.

Evaluation of the 2012-13 ‘LitterGuards’ program showed that when ‘LitterGuards ‘were on duty, litter did not increase in the litter survey area; but when ‘LitterGuards’ were not on duty, litter increased by 24 percent.

Millions of visitors arrive in Manly every year, attracted by one of the best surf beaches in Australia and superb views of Sydney Harbour.

However, they leave tonnes of litter behind them, including plastic bags, bottles, cans, polystyrene cups, plates, cutlery, food wrappers and mounds of other rubbish.

Manly Council’s beach cleansing team scours the beach every day both by hand and with a tractor-operated beach rake to clean up the mess in time for the next wave of visitors.

Last season, the ‘LitterGuards’ collected over 1,000 signed pledges promising to not litter in Manly.

For more details, see Manly Council’s website.

Jean Hay AM

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