Roadside litter project to help clean up South West Queensland

South West Queensland is well on its way to cleaning up its act with the help of a Newman Government litter initiative.

Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection, Andrew Powell welcomed the partnership with local councils and other organisations to reduce roadside litter and revitalise frontline services.

“Last year we released the state’s first Litter and Illegal Dumping Action Plan and this is one of the first initiatives to emerge,” Mr Powell said.

“By partnering with the collective councils in the Darling Downs and Surat Basin areas, alongside the Queensland Murray Darling Committee and the Australian Packaging Covenant, we can address the problem of roadside litter.

“This is another way that the Newman Government is revitalising an important frontline service as promised at the election and delivering common sense conservation outcomes.

“Under the agreement roadside litter will be reduced through the South West Region Roadside Litter Hot Spot Project.

“The aim is to raise awareness of the impact litter and illegal dumping has on communities and the environment, and to clean up the mess.”

Keep Australia Beautiful’s 2013 National Litter Index highlighted roadside litter as one of Queensland’s top litter problems.

Queensland Murray Darling Committee CEO Geoff Penton said it was also identified as a significant problem for councils in the state’s south west.

“This commitment will help us work with local governments to improve our knowledge of littering behaviour and then work to develop long term actions, to reduce it,” Mr Penton said.  

“As an organisation focused on strengthening the management of natural resources, our aim is to improve the state of the environment along our highways.

“Unfortunately littering is a common issue shared by multiple councils and only by raising awareness about the impacts of roadside litter, can we hope to change negative behaviours.”

Minister Powell said this was a perfect time to remind everyone to do their bit to reduce waste and litter, with Clean-Up Australia Day events planned for Sunday, March 2.

For more information on Clean-Up Australia Day, visit www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au

[ENDS] 28 February 2014

Media contact: Brooke Hargraves 0458 689 043