More than 60 volunteers removed one-tonne of marine debris from the Georges River during the Paddle Against Plastic event last Sunday.
The community day was held as part of a broader clean-up conducted by Ocean Crusaders and Georges Riverkeeper, funded through the office of Federal Member for Banks, David Coleman
and the Federal Governments Communities Environment Program that removed a total of 10.9 tonnes of rubbish from the Georges River over a seven-day period.
Ian Thomson, the founder of Ocean Crusaders, a charity organization with a focus to remove marine debris from Australia's waterways said, "It's heartbreaking to see so much debris in such a beautiful waterway, however it's also great to see so many people willing to play their part in making a difference.
"In reality we need to stop using single use plastics and hence our campaign motto is to 'Stop it at the Shop' by encouraging people to stop buying it in the first place."
Mr Coleman described the Georges River as the jewel in the crown of the local area.
"We should do everything we sensibly can to ensure that it remains that way," he said.
"This is a great initiative and all the volunteers and those involved should be congratulated."
Georges Riverkeeper chairperson Geoff Shelton said, "Plastic pollution is degrading our waterways and killing our wildlife. We are very grateful to Ocean Crusaders who have travelled from Queensland to use their time, expertise and equipment to help clean up the river."
Georges River Council Mayor Kevin Greene congratulated and thanked the community volunteers who gave up their time and came out in kayaks and on foot to rid the river of debris.
The community event was held in addition to six days of "hard-core cleaning" by Ocean Crusaders and smaller groups of volunteers using a custom-built, seven-metre barge on the river.
Last financial year, Georges Riverkeeper helped to remove 110 tonnes of rubbish from the river, and this year alone has removed over 60 tonnes already.
Georges Riverkeeper chairperson, Councillor Geoff Shelton said, "Plastic pollution is degrading our waterways and killing our wildlife. We are very grateful to Ocean Crusaders who have travelled from Queensland to use their time, expertise and equipment to help clean up the river."
Councillor Shelton said the Ocean Crusaders partnered with Georges Riverkeeper for the event which was supported by Georges River Council, City of Canterbury Bankstown, Oatley Flora and Fauna, and The River Canoe Club.
Georges Riverkeeper has been in operation for 40 years coordinating projects on behalf of its member Councils and advocating for better river management practices across the broader catchment.
Long-running programs focus on water quality monitoring and research, rubbish collection and bush regeneration, stormwater advocacy and community education.
