All welcome to join Waiheke clean up

KEEPING IT BEAUTIFUL: The great Waiheke clean up

The big Waiheke clean up starts this Friday with an official launch at Matiatia.

Everyone is welcome to join in the ceremony which starts at 12 noon with a blessing from kaumatua Wally Manahi. Speeches will follow from Keep New Zealand Beautiful chairman Tony Rush, environment minister Nick Smith and Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye, Light refreshments will be available at MORRA Hall from 12.30pm.

So far over 500 people have signed up to help including 19 community groups, eight businesses and four corporate groups coming from Auckland. The Red Hat ladies will be taking to Oneroa Beach "in full regalia" on Tuesday, while a team from Junk to Funk will be at Blackpool beach on Saturday - with many in costume.

Kayakers will take to the water from Matiatia to Park Point to clean up the less accessible beaches, while walkers from Synergy Studio and the Jassy Dean Trust will cover the walkways in the area, and a waka will head out from Blackpool.

In Rocky Bay police and youth will be joining forces for the Blue Light team. Waiheke Police youth aid Officer Steve Clark says one group will be heading out past the boat sheds to the point, while another will head in the opposite direction toward Whakanewha to ensure a full clean-up for the bay.

Community groups and businesses including Waiheke Community Board, Rotary, Waiheke Dental Group, Fullers, SeaLink, Gulf Accountants, Emergence, Food Mechanix and Lite-house have "adopted" beaches across the island and will spend time scouring them for rubbish.

Students from the schools are also involved with the young person who collects the most rubbish up to win a bundle of goodies. A weigh-in at Onetangi Sports Park on Friday, September 11, will determine the winner of the competition.

This will be just one of a range of events being held during Clean up Week, for which the island is one of three "iconic" New Zealand sites being showcased by Keep New Zealand Beautiful.

Organiser Jenness Reeve says despite the high interest in the local clean up there is still plenty of room for additional volunteers.

"And while the focus is on coastal care, there may be some people who want to clean up around their workplace or street - and we'd welcome that too," she says.

Anyone wanting to register for The Big Clean up Competition, or wanting to take part in the clean up, can contact Mrs Reeve via email at amreeve@xtra.co.nz on 372 4459 or 021 250 2480.

Closing celebration

All participants are invited to the closing ceremony at Onetangi Sports Park on Friday, September 11 from 4pm where the rubbish mountain will be sited before it is taken away. The U13s rugby team will be providing a sausage sizzle and the name of the youngster who has collected the most rubbish will be announced.

- Waiheke Marketplace