Just before the Winter school holidays started, a number of school aged surfers carried a chair and bench table into the dunes just north of the Avalon surf club. Great stuff - a dune chair with a view in the great outdoors - better than stuck indoors glued to a screen!
What wasn't so good was the rubbish they left there during the holidays. It was a mess.
On Wednesday July 16 residents witnessed 3 Argentine backpackers go into that area and clean up after these kids. They carried multiple bags of rubbish from the area and placed it in the bins provided at the beach.
Others have also witnessed local Corey Kirk regularly cleaning up Avalon Beach dunes, over years.
Many are regularly cleaning up local spots that have been trashed - and have been doing so for decades.
Careel Creek - Bilgola Bends - Bilgola Lookout, Lisa, Lionel and his crew, Gumby hot-footing discarded paper coffee cups into the bins at Palmy - GOAL!
Joe Mills, who cleans Turimetta beach of a Monday after weekend parties, has had extra clean-ups over this school holidays break.
He said on Friday, July 18;
''I was disappointed this week, as I spent 3 mornings picking up rubbish from peoples' fire and drinking sessions the night before.
Friday morning's (July 18) spread of discarded cans and bottles was spread over at least a radius of 50m. They used the emergency surfboard as a chair, very close to the fire, and it was damaged.
''They never return the emergency surfboard to the rack, even on previous occasions, nor do they pick up their rubbish, it is always scattered everywhere. The beach (and nature reserve) is becoming littered with charcoal and burnt wood remnants, let alone with the rubbish left.
We have a major problem on Council's hand. Maybe they should spend some of the rate increases on checking this problem.''
Summary:
- Mon - Rubbish pickup plus identified a tent & BBQ
- Tue - 3 Council workers did a beach scan and cleanup, but was early and dark. They had to use head torches. They did miss things.
- Wed - My swim morning (no beach walk)
- Thu - Rubbish pickup plus identified a discarded Bean Bag
- Fri - Rubbish pickup plus identified damaged rescue surfboard. I returned it to the rack'
''Very sad ☹️.''
Some of Monday's collected rubbish
Tent and BBQ discarded in the dunes
Thursday's collection
Friday's collection
Although this could only be a few local young adults - we have to ask; why don't they want to Keep Pittwater Beautiful?
They carried it in - why can't they carry it out and recycle what needs recycling and put the rest where it won't hurt what they love? WHAT is the problem?
Our own youngest son, when this in his late teens, told us ''there's no where to go and nothing for us to do, and no one listening to us anyway, so everyone ends up in the dunes or in the parks, having a laugh''.
Although this response was one of the key factors in starting the news service, to listen to and give young people here a voice and place where they will be seen and heard, a decade and a half on, there is still not much here that allows young adults and teenagers a place to have some fun that doesn't trash Turimetta and other places we all used to run to too when their age.
A scan of this year's Winter school holiday activities shows lots of options for younger residents, but not much to nothing for teenagers becoming young adults - and most activities cost something. Not all families are heading south to the snow fields each Winter or out on the estuary in their yacht, they simply cannot afford to, and those young people who want to go out at night locally - what is there for them? The days of 'Blue Light Discos' are never seen anymore, and the local Youth Club mooted under Pittwater council and waylaid into a bigger skate ramp/park at Mona Vale is no substitute for the kids getting to have a dance and getting inspired to clean up their own mess afterwards so the dance floor is set for next time.
Do we need more bins where they can be found afterwards?
Do we need to keep up the messaging about looking after and respecting the places you love to hang out in, so these places are still there for to have fun in next time?
Do we need some where for them to go with some thing for them to do?
Joe says his quote for this week is;
The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. - Robert Swan
And his own:
''As always, enjoy Nature.''
But please, pack it up and take it with you after you have. Adult it.
