Get your hands dirty: Clean Up boss

North shore local and Clean Up Australia chair Pip Kiernan has invoked the memory of her father in urging residents to “get their hands dirty” in this weekend’s annual event.

Pip Kiernan at Sydney harbour, where the Clean Up Australia movement founded by her father all started 30 years ago. Picture: AAP IMAGE / Troy Snook.

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North shore local and Clean Up Australia chair Pip Kiernan has invoked the memory of her father in urging residents to “get their hands dirty” in this weekend’s annual event.

“Get involved – if there’s a particular site you want cleaned up you can register it online and tackle it with your own group,” said the Northbridge resident, who has taken up the legacy of her father Ian, who died four months ago.

Sunday is the 30th anniversary of the original Clean Up Sydney Harbour day, which grew into a nationwide crusade.

Coogee Beach annual clean-up on Clean Up Australia Day is being hosted by Coogee Bay Hotel. Pictured are event manager Melanie Elwood, general manager Natasha Brennan and marketing manager Lindsey Potts. Picture: AAP Image / Monique Harmer

Thirty areas across Sydney have been nominated for special treatment, including three on the north shore - Lavender Bay, Chinaman’s Beach at Mosman and Bradfield Park at North Sydney.

But residents can nominate their own hit list and add themselves to the 16 million volunteers who over three decades have moved 350,000 ute loads of rubbish from 178,000 locations across the country.

Pip Kiernan: “It was dad’s favourite day of the year.” Picture: AAP IMAGE / Troy Snook.

“It was dad’s favourite day of the year,” said the daughter of the Clean Up Australia founder and former Australian of the year.

“He believed it belonged to the community and he got the biggest kick out of seeing so many people getting involved and making a difference.

“He tapped into something that resonated everywhere. It was a simple idea that has touched so many people from all walks of life.

“It’s empowering and it has brought people together. That first year he was terrified no-one would turn up but 40,000 people came.

“He was never into doom and gloom. He was so positive. He said, ‘If there’s a problem, let’s fix it’.”

She has fond memories of working alongside her dad “through many premiers and prime ministers” and “now I’m doing it with my own children”.

Clean Up Australia Day founder, the late Ian Kiernan.

Thirty years ago Australians created around 450kg or rubbish per person per year. Today this is six times more at 2,700 kgs - starting the day we are born, with disposable nappies.

As Ian Kiernan predicted, plastic is the main issue – 39 per cent of rubbish reported by clean up volunteers is single use plastic, which will long outlive those who use it.

Of that rubbish, food packaging represents 19 per cent, non-food packaging 26 per cent, beverage containers 18 per cent, beverage rubbish 12 per cent, chip and confectionery wrappers seven per cent and plastic bags 4.5 per cent.

Clean Up Australia Founder Ian Kiernan pictured in 2017 with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton during Clean Up Australia Day at Clifton Gardens Reseve at Mosman. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“Our increased consumerism, inability to avoid overpackaging and some people’s expectations that others will clean up after us are issues we can’t ignore,” said Pip Kiernan.

“The choice is simple – take action or plastics will continue to be a problem well into the future.”

She urged consumers to say no to plastic straws, plastic bags, disposable coffee cups and drink bottles, and to fruit and veg sold on plastic trays and wrapped in more plastic.

“Consumers have a lot of power with decisions on what they buy. If we continue at this rate we will be drowning in plastic.”

She said stormy weather accentuated the problem in waterways, as she personally observed recently at Hayes St beach in Neutral Bay and Clive Park at Northbridge.