Community dives in to clean up Hobart’s waterfront …

… on Clean Up Australia Day

Sunday 6 March
The Tas Uni Dive Club, Ocean Planet Tasmania and Environment Tasmania are joining forces this Clean Up Australia Day with more than 35 volunteers pitching in to clean up Hobart’s popular waterfront area above and beneath the water.

“All of our rubbish ends up in the sea, so this Clean Up Australia Day there’ll be volunteers diving throughout the harbour to clean it up and help ease some of the pressure on this environment. This is a great way for people who love to be under the water, to give something back to this environment,” said John Keane, Vice President of Tas Uni Dive Club.

“It has been estimated that half the plastics ever produced end up in the ocean. This rubbish can have serious impacts on our marine life. Fish and marine mammals can swallow plastics and other rubbish, leading to choking or starvation. We don’t want to leave a legacy of oceans of rubbish for our children, so it’s really important for people to get involved in these clean ups and support container deposit legislation that helps to minimise rubbish in the first place” said Rebecca Hubbard, Marine Coordinator with Environment Tasmania.

The divers will also be collecting pacific sea stars, which pose a significant threat as pests in the marine environment.

What: Clean Up Australia Day – photo opportunity with divers collecting rubbish, information stall with volunteers, tally of rubbish collected from above and below water
Who: Over 35 volunteers – over 20 diving and 15 combing the waterfront and sorting and supporting the dive collection
When: 10am-1pm Sunday 6 March
Where: Next to the old crane and opening bridge, Constitution Dock, Hobart
Rebecca Hubbard, Marine Coordinator, Environment Tasmania