JOSIE Jones OAM addressed community members at the Mount Martha Yacht Club last Wednesday (18 September), where she highlighted the role of public consultation in solving environmental issues.
Community feedback has revealed that 78% of residents surveyed preferred hand-cleaning over mechanical raking, and found the rake to be ineffective. The meeting reaffirmed the value of engaging in meaningful public discussions about the care of beaches and why we are stuck in a cycle of litter.
Jones also educated the audience on the seasonal movement of tides from April to October, clarifying misconceptions regarding the accumulation of seaweed and litter. “Seaweed, which comes up during storm events, plays an important ecological role by protecting the coastline from erosion,” said Jones. “Unfortunately, the litter buried by mechanical beach rakes remains embedded in the sand, contributing to erosion.
The audience agreed that the majority of litter comes from beach recreation, and Jones clarified this by presenting physical data. She said this ongoing issue is largely due to the ineffectiveness of the mechanical beach raking process, which buries litter rather than effectively removing it. This conclusion is supported by both her research and that of the shire.
During the meeting, Jones shared findings from a mechanical beach rake test. In the test 27 items were placed over a 100-metre stretch. Despite multiple passes, the rake only collected six items, damaging half in the process. Many test items remained in the sand, with some broken into smaller pieces. All of these items are commonly reported by community clean-up efforts like Beach Patrol Safety Beach/Dromana, where the tests were held.
Jones encouraged further public consultation and community involvement in the 100% hand-cleaning trial. She also encouraged the community to support the hand cleaning team, who have their work cut out for them, with decades of buried litter. “People need to remember that the rake never cleaned the foredunes, nor did it collect fresh seaweed imbedded with plastics, this has been left to volunteers,” said Jones. Jones recognised the efforts of the Clean Team Beach, whose manual efforts have consistently succeeded where mechanical methods have failed.
For those interested, Jones is available to speak with the community to raise awareness and demonstrate why hand-cleaning is the best approach.
Editor’s note: Josie Jones is a candidate in the current Mornington Peninsula Shire Council election for Nepean Ward.
First published in the Mornington News – 24 September 2024
