Campaigner Kiernan calls for beautiful clean-up

Jessica Benton
AUSTRALIA’S leading anti-litter campaigner has called on residents to roll up their sleeves for the region next month.
Clean Up Australia Day founder Ian Kiernan described the Barwon River estuary around Moonah Park as “beautiful” while launching the region’s 2010 campaign this week.
“What a fantastic part of the world this is,” he said at the Barwon Heads park.
“It’s such an important place and it’s in excellent condition.”
Mr Kiernan joined South Barwon MP Michael Crutchfield, Friends of Moonah Park members and Barwon Heads Primary School students to survey a stretch of the riverbank in preparation for next month’s clean up.
Mr Kiernan labelled riverbanks as rubbish “hot spots”.
“The Barwon River has lots of reeds and marshes, which are an important part of the ecology but they can also collect anything that’s floating down the river.”
Mr Kiernan listed fishing lines, plastic drink containers, aluminum cans, bait bags and shotgun cartridges from duck shooters as common litter around riverbanks.
He called on residents across the region to join the 20th annual Clean Up Australia Day on March 7.
Registrations were open at www.cleanup.org.au, Mr Kiernan said.