Diving in to clean up Lakes Entrance town jetties

Bairnsdale Scuba Club is leading this year’s Clean Up Australia Day charge, working in partnership with East Gippsland Shire Council and Gippsland Ports to collect rubbish from around the public jetties in Lakes Entrance.

The dive clean-up will be held on Sunday, February 24, a week ahead of the official Clean Up Australia Day due to a pre-planned club trip.

Mayor Cr Natalie O’Connell said it was volunteer groups like the Bairnsdale Scuba Club and other individuals who were embracing the 2019 clean-up theme ‘Change starts with you’.

“Ideally there would be no need for clean-up events, however we still have some community members who need to change their behaviour when it comes to littering and dumping waste. What the Bairnsdale Scuba Club is doing should be applauded, it’s members volunteering unique skills and time to improve our waterways that are enjoyed by so many,” Cr O’Connell said.

Gippsland Ports will provide a barge and skip bins for the clean-up and Council will dispose of the rubbish at no charge.

Chief executive officer Chris Waites said Gippsland Ports was only too happy to provide assistance for the clean-up effort.

“It’s an important community activity and the removal of rubbish from around the public jetties in Lakes Entrance also assists in enhancing waterway safety,” Mr Waites said.

“Providing safe waterways is important for all users of the Gippsland Lakes. I congratulate the club on taking up this initiative.”

Bairnsdale Scuba Club president Peter McDiarmid said the club had not participated in a Clean Up Australia Day dive for many years, but this year provided an opportunity to do their bit.

“We are looking forward to doing our bit on February 24. East Gippsland has some of the best diving locations and anything we can do to maintain that is worthwhile,” Mr McDiarmid said.

“We will be meeting at the boat ramp near the Gippsland Lakes Fishing Club and Lakes Entrance Skate Park for our safety briefing from 9am and then moving up the shoreline, diving off the jetties from about 10am.

“We are expecting about eight club divers, with supported from non-divers. Any non-divers are welcome to come along and help … who knows what we will find.”

Council is also supporting other individuals and groups who are hosting registered Clean Up events by offering free disposal of collected rubbish at the nearest relevant waste facility.

“Organisers of registered Clean Up Australia Day events can take waste to their closest landfill or transfer station at no cost, but you will need to ensure you are using your official Clean Up Australia Day bags and your event has been registered. Bags will be accepted from Saturday, March 2 to Monday, March 4. Council cannot collect the bags,” Cr O’Connell said.

Businesses are encouraged to focus their action on Business Clean Up Day on Tuesday, February 26, with Schools running their own Clean Up on Friday, March 1, and youth and community groups over the weekend of March 2-3. 

For more information, contact Council’s Manager Waste and Resource Recovery Kartik Venkatraman on 5153 9500, email [email protected] or visit the council website.

A full list of registered Clean Up Australia Day events can be found at the Clean Up Australia Day website.

 Bairnsdale Scuba Club members Andrew and Peter McDiarmid with East Gippsland Shire Council Mayor Cr Natalie O’Connell and Gippsland Ports Chief Executive Officer Chris Waites on a windswept Bullock Island ahead of the Lakes Entrance town jetties clean-up dive on February 24.