In the Warrnambool region in Victoria the need for an ongoing program to tackle the problem of marine plastics on local beaches has gained momentum. Ten beach monitoring sites have been set up along the coast from Warrnambool to Port Fairy as part of the new Clean Oceans Collective program, which has teamed up with Tangaroa Blue Foundation. More than 600 people, including community volunteers, school students, teachers, university students, staff from Wannon Water, local and state government representatives and Warrnambool City Councillors, attended the event, which included a Source Reduction Plan workshop.
Heidi Taylor, Director of Tangaroa Blue Foundation, said she was looking forward to returning in October to help the group analyse the monitoring data and develop source reduction plans. She was particularly impressed with the level of government support, with Warrnambool and Moyne councils, the Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority, Wannon Water, and the Environmental Protection Authority all on board.
