As officials prepare to step up litter patrols and enforce fines beginning this August, efforts are being made to address the rubbish problem afflicting the Redcliffe foreshore and Clontarf.
Community organisation Pristine Peninsula has been fighting for better surroundings, and Councillor Karl Winchester (Div 6) has been a steadfast backer of their cause. The Pristine Peninsula group has methodically tracked the types and amounts of garbage along Elizabeth Ave. for the past six years in an effort to improve the area’s cleanliness. They were successful in getting more patrols after two years of tenacious advocacy.
Concerns regarding trash from automobiles on the Hornibrook Bridge were raised after an alarming 37 cigarette butts were found along Elizabeth Ave. during a recent volunteer survey.
The council plans to increase enforcement efforts as a result, focusing especially on littering in Redcliffe’s beach areas and adjoining parkland, seven days a week. A targeted project will concentrate on the Elizabeth Ave., Clontarf community, which has been identified as a particular hotspot for littering.
The organisation’s founder, Les Barkla, expressed gratitude for the expanded patrols but emphasised the necessity for ongoing efforts. For the community to receive the message properly, he emphasised the necessity of daily patrols, as occasional actions are unlikely to have the desired effect. Mr Barkla stressed the need to maintain enforcing litter fines as the problem with litter worsens.
The effects of littering go beyond the obvious debris since it takes hundreds of years for the garbage to disintegrate into dangerous microplastics, which eventually enter the food chain and pose major environmental dangers.
Mr Barkla urged a multimodal strategy that included education, public awareness, and the enforcement of trash fines in order to fully solve the problem. He also promoted the use of packaging that is 100% natural and compostable in order to lessen litter and its long-term environmental effects.
Littering is a well-established offence under Queensland Law, granting Moreton Bay City Council the authority to take decisive action. Through increased patrols and the implementation of fines, the aim is to raise awareness among the community and encourage responsible litter disposal, resulting in a cleaner and more environmentally friendly Redcliffe foreshore and Clontarf.
Published 8-August-2023
