Not-for-profit organisations to help clean Lake Mac

Published on 24 February 2022

A group of dedicated Girl Guides will join thousands of volunteers across Lake Mac next month for Clean Up Australia Day 2022.

Warners Bay Girl Guides District Manager Rebecca Carlier said taking part in Australia’s largest community-based environmental event was a tradition spanning decades.

“One of our main goals is to help the girls become really positive members of the community, and this event opens up a line of communication with them about caring for the environment and our world,” Ms Carlier said.

“The Warners Bay Girl Guides have been taking part well before my time and this year we will be targeting Warners Bay foreshore.”

Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser encouraged community members and groups to roll up their sleeves and volunteer at the event.

“Last year, 5600 volunteers collected 16 tonnes of rubbish across 83 sites, which is an incredible effort,” Cr Fraser said.

More than 75 sites have been registered across the city’s foreshore, bushland, beaches and parks.

“There will be divers at Swansea cleaning our waterways, and groups at Cardiff, Redhead Beach, Catherine Hill Bay and right along Cockle Creek,” Cr Fraser said.

Nine-year-old Isabella Carlier was among last year’s Girl Guide volunteers cleaning up at Warners Bay. 

“I found a lot of cigarette butts and car parts, which was weird,” Isabella said.

“I really like helping my environment.”

Clean Up Australia Chair Pip Kiernan said there was no doubt the amount of plastic waste had surged since the start of the pandemic.

“Disposable masks don’t belong in the environment and we are calling on volunteers to rally together and help us remove and count them on Clean Up Australia Day.”

Locals can register to volunteer at a site at cleanupaustraliaday.org.au.