This Sunday marks the 26th Clean Up Australia Day where individuals, families and volunteer groups come together to tackle waste and litter in our local communities.
Protecting the natural environment, particularly our waterways and marine environment, is an important priority for the Australian Government.
In the same way that communities come together every year for Clean Up Australia Day, so too do the government, corporate and community sectors.
Under our National Landcare Programme we are providing $300,000 over three years to help the Clean Up Australia campaign continue its important work of encouraging all Australians to keep our country litter free.
This Australian Government funding complements the generous donations of funding, time and effort by businesses, councils and community members who are supporting Clean Up Australia’s national campaign to reduce waste, remove litter and to improve the health of our environment.
Since the first Clean Up Australia Day in 1990, volunteers have removed more than 302,000 tonnes of rubbish from the environment, improving the health of our parks, bushland, beaches and waterways, and making our cities and towns safer for everyone to enjoy.
Last year, more than 533,500 volunteers dedicated their time to clean up 6,231 sites across the country, removing over 13,708 tonnes of rubbish from the environment.
Participation in the Schools Clean Up Day increased with around 435,500 students in more than 2,324 schools picking up litter while learning about proper waste disposal and the importance of recycling.
This is a fantastic effort and I would like to thank everyone involved. It shows that by working together we can make a real difference and Clean Up Australia.
(ENDS)