Volunteers keep community beautiful
AN effort to clean up Albert Town included the removal of a 50kg car axle, which was collected and taken to the tip.
About 20 volunteers collected 230kg of rubbish — which was done as part of Keep New Zealand Beautiful Week.
The team of volunteers focused on a stretch of State Highway 6 from the intersection with SH84 to the Dublin Bay turnoff, as well as parts of old Albert Town, the Albert Town Recreation Reserve and various walking tracks around the town.
Albert Town Community Association chairman Jim Cowie said the rubbish ranged from plastic and polystyrene to wire and steel.
He said there was a lot of rubbish in the recreation reserve, which was ‘‘disappointing’’, although overall there seemed to be less than in previous years.
‘‘The first year we did it, four years ago, we filled two highsided trailers. There was just an incredible amount of rubbish then, but it’s getting better.’’
Mr Cowie said it was ‘‘vitally important people take responsibility for keeping their suburbs and neighbourhoods clean’’ and thought it was even more important for somewhere like Albert Town, because a clean neighbourhood and walking tracks made a good impression on tourists.
As for the car axle, Mr Cowie said he believed it had been lying on the side of the Outlet walking track for more than 15 years and took the chance to get rid of it by trundling it out on a sack barrow.
‘‘I’m glad we got rid of it because it was really starting to get up my nose.’’
Mr Cowie hoped the introduction of closed bins by the Queenstown Lakes District Council next year would have some impact, particularly in spring when winds often blew rubbish around.