Rodney Stevens

The new Yamba Chamber of Commerce committee are calling on all Yamba residents to be part of a ‘Clean Up culture’ and participate in Clean Up Australia Day on March 5 to help keep their beautiful town pristine.

Yamba Chamber of Commerce President James Stirling said following their annual general meeting the chamber had several new committee members and a new energy to help the town.

“Clean Up Australia Day is one of the first things that comes up on the calendar every year and it has been a great success in communities around Australia for more than 30 years,” he said.

“Yamba is quite a tidy place anyway, but we’ve always said in business and at the chamber that when you live in a place that’s clean and tidy, it inspires people to keep it that way.

Using this philosophy, Mr Stirling said the Yamba Chamber of Commerce aimed to foster a ‘Clean Up culture’ in the residents of Yamba to help keep the town tidy all year round.

“When things are pristine, other residents notice this and it turns it into a culture,” he said.

“It’s a great initiative to be involved in and when people see us out there taking care of our town they want to be involved.

“From there it perpetuates throughout the town with people taking care of where they live.”

Clean Up Australia Day was the inspiration of Ian Kiernan and was launched in 1990.

An avid sailor, Mr Kiernan was shocked and disgusted by the pollution and rubbish that he continually encountered in the oceans of the world.

So, he took matters into his own hands and organised a community event with the support of a committee of friends, including co-founder Kim McKay.

The simple idea ignited an enthusiasm and desire among the local community to get involved and make a difference.

Since its launch, more than 20 million Australian’s have volunteered their time as part of Clean Up Australia activities across the nation.

This equates to 38.5 million hours of volunteer time dedicated to Clean Up activities to benefit our environment.

Just as Ian Kiernan was inspired by terrible pollution he encountered as a sailor, Mr Singleton said with Yamba being on the river and the coast, preventing rubbish entering our waterways was a priority for the chamber.

“Having a tidy town is important everywhere, but being on the river and the coast it is vitally important here that we do keep the town clean and tidy and keep rubbish out of the river system and the ocean,” he said.

“Because plastic pollution in the rivers and oceans is a massive issue and detracts from the beauty of Yamba for both locals and tourists.”

Volunteers for the Yamba Clean Up on March 5 will meet at the Yamba Skate Park at 8am.

For more information visit www.cleanup.org.au or email yamba.chamber@gmail.com

Donations to Clean Up Australia can be made through the website www.cleanup.org.au