Rip Curl takes to the coast

Rip Curl Australia (RCA) staff swapped their normal office for the coast in the annual RCA Planet Day on October 13-14.

Each year, Rip Curl staff from the Torquay Head Office donate one working day to environmental volunteering, partnering with the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC), the Surf Coast Shire, Parks Victoria, and local volunteer groups.

More than 85,000 indigenous species have been planted, with thousands of weeds removed along coastal reserves between Point Impossible and Bells Beach since the idea of Planet Day began in 2000.

Great Ocean Road Coast Committee Conservation Supervisor Georgie Beale said the contribution Rip Curl Australia makes to coastal conservation over two days is hugely beneficial to the ongoing management of the coastal reserves.

“Throughout the year we have several groups donate their time and resources to environmental conservation and without their contributions, the coast would be a very different landscape,” she said.  “We are truly grateful to Rip Curl for their ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.  We might have even recruited a few new friends and volunteer group members!”

Rip Curl Australia Group Advertising and Marketing Chairman Neil Ridgway said the initiative was an important day for Rip Curl staff as it provided the opportunity to give back to the environment which inspires all areas of work at RCA.

“Planet Day focuses on Rip Curl’s core values, and the staff truly believe in caring for the natural environment where we live and work.

“Everyone puts their heart and spirit into the conservation work across the various sites in Torquay and look forward to seeing the progress and rehabilitation of the popular sites,” he said.

Staff are divided into various groups over the two days to complete environmental activities including indigenous tree planting, weed removal and rubbish collection.

Torquay Coast Action President Glenda Shomaly helped instruct the RCA group at Deep Creek and said the day was a fantastic contribution to coastal conservation.

“The Rip Curl team provide environmental groups with an enormous boost in manpower, helping us to achieve conservation work that would otherwise take our group years to complete.

“Most of the Rip Curl crews have been participating in Planet Day for some years now and have become quite experienced in coastal conservation which is fantastic,” she said.

The ‘Paddle for Plastics’ group retrieved an astounding 12 wheelie bins of debris from the Spring Creek estuary using surf boards and stand up paddleboards.