Volunteers clean up the cracker day mess
As the smoke settles on another cracking Territory Day, an army of volunteers, council workers and even prisoners cleaned up the mess left behind. FREE READ.
Northern Territory
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“What a way to start the day,” a sunrise-bathed volunteer told NT News as he cleaned up the picturesque beach in Rapid Creek after Territory Day celebrations.
Each year scores of locals, council workers and even prisoners descend on the Territory’s green, red and blue spaces to clean up the mess left after cracker night.
Rapid Creek Landcare NT treasurer Gill Abraham was pleased with the volunteer turnout at her group’s patch.
“We’ve had much more than expected — 14 already,” Ms Abraham said.
“We’re focusing on the intertidal zone to pick up any rubbish fish might mistake for food.”
Ms Abraham said she was also happy to see a “huge presence” from Darwin Council who beat the volunteers to the foreshore for an even earlier clean-up.
“It’s well co-ordinated this year between volunteers and government agencies,” she said.
“There’s also Parks and Wildlife down on the beach with a buggy, and I have heard prisoners will also come and join the cleanup.”
A Department of Corrections spokesman confirmed 16 prisoners and three officers from the Community Support Work Program took part in the clean-up.
“These crews were the only group active in their area and helped prevent approximately 42m³ of fireworks waste from washing into the ocean on the next high tide,” the spokesman said.
Darwin councillor Ed Smelt was at Rapid Creek volunteering with Landcare NT.
“It’s always important to clean up and restore our beautiful foreshore,” he said.
The councillor said Darwin Council had sent workers and organised skip bins to assist in the cleanup too.
Up the bike track in Nightcliff, volunteers organised by the NT Greens were cleaning the beach.
“Our goal is mainly just to get all of the little remnants of fireworks off the beach,” NT Greens organiser Ellyane Wall said.
“We don’t want them to end up in our oceans and waterways.”
For the beachside volunteers, it was a race against time and tide to tidy up.
“High tide will be coming in at about 10.45am,” Ms Wall said.
“Once it gets sucked out into the ocean, we won’t see it again.
“So the more we can get off the beach before that high tide the better.”
All the volunteers who spoke to the NT News shared similar tips for Territorians to enjoy cracker night environmentally responsibly in years to come.
“The way to set yourself up for success really is just to pick your spot wisely,” Ms Wall said.
“If you are going to come down to the beach, make a note of where the high tide is and set your stuff above where the next high tides are going to be.
“If you’re planning to go to your local park make sure you pick areas that aren’t super vegetated.
“Obviously fire is the other big concern this time of.
“So just set yourself up for success by picking your spot wisely.
“And of course, put your rubbish in the bin afterwards.”
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