Clean Up Australia Day a success across Port Stephens Port POPUP - DAupdate Port Stephens Port Stephens News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - March 7, 2025 Members of the Tomaree Trotters running group covered over 55kms to clean up the Fingal Bay area. CLEAN Up Australia Day (CUAD) was the brainchild of Ian Kiernan AO, an “average Australian” who had a simple idea, 35 years ago, to make a difference in his own backyard. The event has now become the nation’s largest community-based environmental action, held annually on the first Sunday in March. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au In the Port Stephens area, volunteer groups, schools, workplaces and community organisations took part in last weekend’s clean-up, with many registering on the Clean Up Australia Day website. School students could be seen in their uniforms on Friday, helping to tidy up the Salamander Bay shopping area. Other groups followed suit over the weekend, including a group at Bagnall’s Beach and the Fingal Bay-based running group The Tomaree Trotters. Gary Lucas organised the Trotters event, splitting teams into pairs armed with bags, gloves and heaps of community spirit. “We all spend so much time out and about in this absolute paradise but we are not blind to the presence of far too much litter,” said Gary. “This was an opportunity to do something about it and make our paradise even cleaner”. From 7am to 8.30am on Sunday, the Trotters covered trails and tracks from Barry Park to Zenith Beach as well as Fingal Beach itself – clocking a distance of over 55kms between them. A huge amount of rubbish was collected, which included discarded beach towels and clothing, fishing gear, tennis balls, lighters, bottles and cans and several assorted plastic items – all destined to end up in the marine environment. The Rotary Club of Medowie-Williamtown along with the many Rotary clubs across the Lower Hunter, was keen to assist. Over two hours, members filled their bags with rubbish from within a 5km radius of the Medowie shopping centre. Cans, bottle tops, coffee cups, paper lunch bags, very crumpled street signs and quantities of bubble wrap, unread newspapers and much more were collected. Past District Governor Helen Ryan said, “We felt that this was a great way of participating in the community and helping to keep our beautiful country as tidy as possible, as well as [enjoying] the teamwork and social interaction”. Over 22 million Aussies have taken part in the event over the years by pulling on their gloves and donating their time to improve the environment. Registration for Clean Up Australia Day is free for communities and schools via cleanup.org.au/cleanupaustraliaday. By Simon EKINS Fingal Point before the Trotters clean up. Fingal Point after rubbish was removed.
