Once more "onto" the beach

GEORGE Lane of Mt Warrigal, is doing his bit to keep Warilla Beach tidy.

Mr Lane trawls the beach at least once a week collecting the rubbish left behind. He is calling on Shellharbour Council to replace the burnt out and vandalised bins near the Warilla/Barrack Point Surf Club.

A Shellharbour Council spokesperson said council has replaced the garbage bins four times in the past 12 months and is currently in the process of replacing the conventional plastic bins with more durable metal bins in the hope of limiting the potential for damage and vandalism.

Mr Lane is associated with CoastCare, a group dedicated to keeping Australian coasts clear of rubbish.

"I keep the beach clear of rubbish as much as I can," he said.

In addition to replacing the bins Mr Lane said he would like to see council employees spend more time keeping the beach tidy, perhaps with the use of a beach rake.

A Shellharbour Council spokesperson said council does not own a beach cleaner but it does hire one during the busy summer period when beach usage is at its peak.

"It is simply not economical or necessary to utilise this service during winter," the spokesperson said.

Mr Lane said he finds all kinds rubbish left on the beach, including paper, disposable nappies and takeaway wrappers.

While he currently focuses his attention on Warilla Beach Mr Lane said he is planning to do extend his expertise to keep the lake foreshore area clean. He said he believes some of the rubbish found on the beach comes from the stormwater system and said the "young hooligans" who knock over people's bins sending the contents all over the road must take some of the blame.

Mr Lane suggested putting nets over some of the stormwater outlets to prevent rubbish flowing through onto the beach.

He said the rubbish bin situation at Warilla Beach has been steadily getting worse, with more and more bins vandalised over the past 12 months leading to the current situation where there is only one bin for beachgoers to use. He said he had informed both council and Thiess Services about the problem, to no avail.

"The help I need from council at the moment is some new bins, which need to be cemented in properly so they cannot be kicked over or anything."

A Shellharbour Council spokesperson extended their thanks to Mr Lane and others who aid in keeping the beach clean. "Council certainly appreciates and acknowledges the tireless efforts of Mr Lane and the many other local residents and volunteers who keep Warilla Beach rubbish free on a regular basis."