The newly reformed Surfrider Foundation Cronulla branch has received a $1500 grant to help curb litter from being washed down local stormwater drains, Environment Minister and Cronulla MP Mark Speakman announced today.
The grant will go towards permanent resin stickers to be affixed to up to 150 drains around Cronulla with the message “NO LITTERING – DRAINS TO BAY”.
The campaign aims to remind people that stormwater drains are connected to the ocean and whatever is washed down them will affect the water quality and marine environment.
Mr Speakman congratulated the Surfrider Foundation on its anti-littering and water quality initiative.
“Governments can’t do all the heavy lifting. We’re grateful for the contribution of grassroots projects like this,” Mr Speakman said.
“The NSW Government wants to reduce the amount of litter that ends up in our communities, waterways and beaches that’s why we’re aiming to reduce litter volume by 40 per cent by 2020.”
Joe Glendinning president of the Cronulla Branch of the Surfrider foundation and a Surfrider Foundation Australia board member thanked the environment minister for his support ”Its awareness and education,any litter that falls into the gutters goes down the drains and ends up in our waterways,it's easier to stop it at the source then to try and to fix it at the end” Mr Glendinning said.
The foundation helped highlight Sutherland Shire beaches in the 1990’s when sewerage overflows led to the the construction of the deep water ocean outfalls.
Littered drink containers make up the largest proportion of litter volume in NSW almost twice the volume of the next largest category, takeaway food containers and coffee cups.
“From mid next year people in NSW will be able to return their eligible drink containers to a collection point for a 10 cent refund as part of a NSW container deposit scheme,” Mr Speakman said.
“This will help reduce the amount of drink containers that end up in the water.”
Surfrider Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation with over 80 branches and 5,000 members world-wide, dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves and beaches.
