Massive Coromandel coastal cleanup this weekend

Volunteers and boats wanted.

Multiple award-winning charity Sustainable Coastlines is bringing one of their large-scale community clean-up events to clean the coast around Coromandel town this Saturday with support from Thames-Coromandel District Council (TCDC), Smart Environmental, local businesses and marine farmers.

“This is the perfect opportunity to get together in numbers and look after the coast that we love by boat, dinghy, kayak and on foot” said TCDC Solid Waste Officer, Bryce Louden, “and we invite everyone in the region to take part in what will be another epic adventure.”

The coastlines around the eastern Firth of Thames have been identified as an area heavily affected by marine debris. After running the entire East Coast of the North Island this summer on his ‘Cape to Strait’ mission to highlight the impact of marine debris on New Zealand coastlines, endurance athlete Alex Asher said the area “was one of the worst affected areas for rubbish” that he visited during his journey.

“After surveying by land and boat, we found lots of city rubbish such as parking tickets, plastic bottles and shoes as well as ropes and floats from the aquaculture industry and plastic shotgun shells from inland farming,” said Judd.

Event organisers are also looking for volunteers for the clean-up effort, as well as boat owners to help transport event participants to the less-visited shores of the outlying islands from Rangipukea in the south to The Happy Jacks in the north. Those who put their hand up to help will enjoy discounted camping and a post-event celebration at picturesque Tucks Bay, just north of Coromandel Town.

Then on Monday, Sustainable Coastlines has enlisted over 280 students from Coromandel Area School, Te Rerenga School and Te Wharekura o Manaia to pitch in ahead of a final rubbish audit on Wednesday at the Thames Refuse Transfer Station.

All rubbish will be counted, weighed and sorted with assistance from Department of
Corrections community workers, to collect important, publicly available data for educational resources.

Volunteers and boaties are asked to go to www.sustainablecoastlines.org to find out more and register for the event online, or to email info@sustainablecoastlines.org with any
questions.