By NOEL MURPHY
TRIATHLON competitors have left plastic cups scattered across Geelong foreshore and park land.
East Geelong residents complained the throwaway cups from last weekend’s Ironman events had blown into stormwater drains, culverts, across the foreshore and into Corio Bay.
“There are literally thousands of white plastic cups that have been discarded from the weekend’s events presumably,” one angry resident told the Independent.
“It’s a really shocker – they’ve obviously blown into these areas – including the Eastern Beach swimming area, stacked up in stormwater outlets, right along the waterfront east of Limeburner’s Point.”
Another resident complained about various event organisers failing to clean up their rubbish.
“It seems like every other weekend a good deal of Eastern Park, the waterfront and some major roads are blocked off so yet another event can be held,” a third resident said.
He supplied the Independent with photographs of rubbish after the Ironman competition.
“The water was full of these plastic cups, too. If I dumped thousands of plastic cups in Geelong I’d be fined.”
The Independent found the cups still scattered across Eastern Park, Limeburner’s Point, East Geelong Golf Club and CSIRO’s Animal Health Laboratories site days later.
City of Greater Geelong guidelines stipulate that organisers of events in public spaces must manage their waste and leave sites and facilities clean and tidy.
Ironman Asia Pacific media manager Lisa Pringle failed to respond to requests for comment.
