Barwon Coast is taking strategic action to reduce litter along the local coast.
Barwon Coast manages the coastal Crown Land reserves from Collendina, through Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads to the western end of 13th Beach. This includes waste management, including beach litter.
Following the lead from other coastal councils around Australia, Barwon Coast is moving bins that are located on the beach at the base of beach access stairs and ramps.
New bins will be placed inland from beach access points, including along coastal pathways and carparks where vehicle access is provided. This change will be implemented over the next few weeks.
The new-look bin service will result in larger 240-litre general waste and recycling ‘wheelie bins’ located at beach access locations. These bins will be emptied by a waste management contractor.
“This change to waste management will significantly reduce the impact litter has on the environment, improve safety for beachgoers and improve work conditions for Barwon Coast staff,” Manager of Coastal Operations at Barwon Coast Paul Gangell said.
“We know that the number of visitors to our coast is set to increase this summer, more than ever, and the existing bin system is not designed to cope with this amount of waste. It also doesn’t encourage people to bring less down onto the beach or allow for recycling.”
The new waste management program will double the amount of rubbish that can be removed from the beach from 4330 to 8880 litres during peak season. It will also increase the opportunity for local beach users to recycle their rubbish along Ocean Grove Main Beach.
“The new bins will be located as close to the top of beach access points as practical and well away from waterways,” Mr Gangell said.
“Fitted with secure lids, there will be less opportunity for litter to escape onto the beach or into the river and birds will be stopped from spreading the rubbish into environmentally sensitive areas.”
Barwon Coast said the health and safety of its coastal rangers and beach users was a key factor in the decision to remove bins from beaches. The new bins will eliminate the need for vehicles to drive along the beach to collect rubbish. This will reduce the possible risk of incidents with beach users.
“Staff will no longer be required to manually handle the beach rubbish from bins,” Mr Gangell said.
“These bins can sometimes weigh over 30kg, and cause workplace injuries. The potential risk of infection from waste and injury from sharp objects will also be significantly reduced.
“We have highly skilled staff at Barwon Coast and we want them to be able to focus their time and on natural resource management and amenity maintenance rather than emptying beach bins. Barwon Coast is dedicated to caring for the coast and encouraging all beach users to do the same.”
See barwoncoast.com.au/wastemanagement for further information and a map of bin locations.
