Great Ocean Road Coast Committee Blog
News and stories from our iconic coast
The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee and Barwon Coast Committee of Management have joined forces with a simple message for visitors of the coast this summer.
From Ocean Grove on the Bellarine Peninsula to Cumberland River on the Surf Coast, we are asking beachgoers to ‘Share our Shores’.
The Share our Shores campaign focuses on all aspects of equitable use by all types of beach users. Read more
Great Ocean Road Coast’s conservation team recently undertook works to address an old overgrown drain at Torquay’s back beach, emptying into the sea near Voss’ car park.
Conservation Worker Scott Hives set about designing a solution. Read more
Each year the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee receives multiple reports of illegal activities, with staff regularly discovering evidence of poor behaviour on the coast, particularly during peak season. This summer has been no different with a recent spate of illegal behaviour on coastal reserves along the Surf Coast.
Multiple coastal sites in Torquay, Lorne, and Anglesea have been impacted by people lighting fires, littering and destroying vegetation. Party sites are particularly destructive to native vegetation, as trees are cut for firewood and rubbish is often left behind, not to mention the damage made to the stability of fragile dune systems.
Plastic pollution is no joke, Education Coordinator Hilary Bouma said as she forwards the video of Rusty Swordfish and the latest marine debris film by Jarrod Boord.
“Plastic pollution is not something to laugh about, but we need to get the message out there and start getting people talking about the small actions we can all take everyday to help protect our planet. Read more
Great Ocean Road Coast Committee staff were left frustrated after a small truck load of rubbish and debris was illegally dumped on the Beach Road side of Taylor Park last night.
Discarded pieces of concrete, bricks and other building supplies were left in Taylor Park on top of mulch and dirt piles the Great Ocean Road Coast use to improve the vegetation at the popular park area. Read more
The Fresh Air Kids is a group of local families that want their children to spend time in the great outdoors, learning through playing in nature.
A community partnership with the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee, Fresh Air Kids aims to encourage local coastal kids to grow up observing the environment in more detail than even most adults do. Read more
An estimated 140kgs of rubbish was removed from Spring Creek, Torquay over the weekend thanks to a team of 42 volunteers.
Surfrider Foundation Surf Coast together with the Torquay Boardriders Club spent the Sunday afternoon retrieving bikes, cigarette butts and plastics from the waterways. Read more
Illegal littering constantly threatens the Surf Coast and you can do your bit and participate in a clean beach initiative to ensure a healthy coast for all.
The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC) is partnering with Surf Coast Shire to organise a beach clean-up as part of the Take 3 initiative on the 29 November in Lorne.
The message behind ‘Take 3′ is simple – a visit to the beach should involve swimming, lying on the sand and rubbish collection – and asks people to pick up three pieces of rubbish every time they leave the beach.
Surf Coast beaches are among some of the most beautiful in Australia and GORCC encourages the community to get behind this initiative, ensuring our coast remains healthy for all to enjoy.
GORCC Coastal Reserves Manager Rod Goring said rubbish dumped illegally on our beaches and coastal reserves causes harm to the environment and also threatens coastal flora and fauna.
“One problem is that a large amount of household waste is often disposed of in public bins provided for beachgoers.”
“Not only is this illegal, but it causes overflow and litter on our beaches that is not only visually horrible but threatens coastal flora and fauna and the marine environment,” Mr Goring said.
GORCC Conservation Supervisor Georgie Beale said litter, including fishing line, poses danger to beach nesting birds and other coastal and marine wildlife, and urges beachgoers to do their bit and keep our coast clean.
“Marine debris, particularly plastic, has a disastrous impact in our oceans and on marine life with some of the dead seals and birds washing up on the coast have swallowed or been strangled by plastic bags, fishing line, bits of nets and other rubbish.”
“With breeding season underway for our precious Hooded Plovers, it’s especially important we don’t leave rubbish lying around as Hoodie’s can become easily entangled in fishing line on the beach, and we’ve seen this happen in the past.”
“Visitors to the Surf Coast are encouraged to embrace the Take 3 initiative by picking up three pieces of rubbish as we leave the beach,” she said.
Beachgoers are urged to use the bins provided on the grassed foreshore areas and adjacent to sand areas to dispose of rubbish.
“By doing your bit and disposing of rubbish, you will be contributing to a healthy coast for everyone to enjoy,” Ms Beale said.
For information on the beach clean-up contact Georgie Beale on 0417 523 463
For information on the Take 3 initiative visit www.take3.org.au.
This article appeared in the Surf Coast Times Green the Coast column
Related blogs:
 Rubbish dumping still a threat to our coast |
 Deal with waste responsibly |
Australians generate approximately 41 million tonnes of waste each year. Half of this waste is not being recovered for recycling (Clean up Australia, 2009).
To help encourage recycling practices, the Surf Coast Energy Group (SCEG) are inviting the community to attend the August film night, which will showcase the award winning film, ‘Waste Not’.
The 30 minute film, created by Total Environment Centre follows the journey of our rubbish as it is sorted and handled by an army of workers. The night aims to transform the community into ‘Waste Wizards’ and raises awareness about the importance of recycling.
After the screening of this empowering film, the evening will continue with engaging activities for the whole family including:
• ‘Sort it’, where the whole family can decide what should really be in the recycle bin.
• ‘Show and Tell’, an opportunity for community members to present their best reuse and recreate item for the chance to win a prize.
• Rubbish experts from the Shire and Barwon Regional Waste Management answering your questions about where to recycle other items.
• A discussion about the Surf Coast Shire’s vision to reduce landfill.
• A delicious supper provided by Zeally Bay Bakery, Hidden Secrets and SCEG volunteers.
SCEG encourages everyone to come dressed in their best op shop outfit and walk the red carpet at Surfworld Theatrette Torquay, on Friday 2nd of August, commencing at 7pm. Entry by donation.
Watch the Waste Not trailer to gain an insight into the film:
For more information, visit:
http://sceg.org.au/
For more information on environmental issues, visit:
http://gorcc.com.au/
Related blog posts:
| Rubbish dumping still a threat to our coast |
| Deal with waste responsibly |
In celebration of National Volunteer Week, the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC) would like to thank our dedicated coastal environmental volunteers for the time they take to look after our beautiful coast on behalf of the community.
According to Volunteering Australia, this week is Australia’s largest celebration of volunteers and volunteerism with over 6 million (ABS 2010) people volunteering annually in Australia which represents 36 per cent of the adult population.
National Volunteer Week is an opportunity to say thank you to all our volunteers acrosss the nation and you are invited to get involved! Learn more about National Volunteer Week here.
National volunteer week presents a perfect opportunity for GORCC to say a big thank you to all the individuals who are making a difference to our environment!
Groups operating along our coastline work tirelessly to protect the coast and participate in a range of activities including:
These groups are always looking for more helping hands – so if you have a little time to spare, get in touch with a group in your area. Learn more about coastal volunteering in our region and view a directory of local groups here.
National Volunteer Week will finish on Sunday May 19.
More information:
Great Ocean Road Coast Committee Blog 