Local Member of Federal Parliament Madeleine King spent Sunday morning with Kolbe Catholic College staff and students and local volunteers cleaning up a stretch of the Rockingham Beach foreshore as part of annual Clean Up Australia Day activities.

Ms King said the team filled 30 bags with rubbish, including a large amount of recyclable waste, which showed how important Clean Up Australia Day was in keeping our environment clean and safe.

“It is disappointing to find that aluminium cans, bottle tops, and glass and plastic bottles still make up a large amount of rubbish collected from our beaches each year on Clean Up Australia Day,” Ms King said.

“This waste could all be recycled if only people did the right thing instead of leaving their rubbish on the beach. It was also disappointing to find hundreds of cigarette butts in the sand, easy for some to discard but a real danger to our wildlife.”

Ms King praised all of the volunteers who helped out on Sunday, especially the students from Kolbe College.

“The Kolbe College students were a big help on the day and they are to be commended for their hard work,” she said.

“They came down to the beach early in the morning and thanks to their efforts beach users can enjoy a much-cleaner foreshore.”

Ms King thanked all of the volunteers who took part in this year’s Clean Up Australia Day and said she was looking forward to doing it all again next year.

“The more people who get involved, the more we can do. This year showed that together we can make a real impact on our beautiful region.”