‘No excuse’ for rubbish at beach
THE sun is gone and sandcastles have long since been taken by the tide, but broken plastic buckets, shovels, clothing and empty drink cans remain at Brighton Beach and its estuary.
The pile accumulated during two days of sweltering weather and a surge of bathers.
Brighton Surf Life Saving Club members gathered at the beach yesterday to pick up the rubbish left on Tuesday and Wednesday, when temperatures reached nearly 34degC.
Club president Rebecca Aburn said it was upsetting to see the area in a mess because the club worked hard to keep the local environment pristine.
‘‘As a club, we try to minimise our waste and recycle rubbish.
‘‘It’s very disappointing that people are leaving rubbish on our beach.
‘‘We have easy access to bins as you leave the beach.
‘‘It’s been hot, but there’s really no excuse for leaving rubbish.’’
She said there was also concern about the impact it could have had on wildlife in the area if the tide had swept it out to sea.
The area was frequented by penguins, seals, sea lions and various native seabirds.
Mrs Aburn called on beachgoers to be more caring of the environment and more proactive about keeping it clean.
She said club members planned to meet within the next week to identify ways of educating the public to ‘‘leave footsteps rather than rubbish’’.