News Archive

An army of litter-busters descended on the Crawley campus and neighbouring Matilda Bay Reserve last Friday morning armed with gloves and bags as part of the University's Clean Up Australia Day team.

The team of more than 100 staff and students, coordinated by the University's Sustainable Development section, covered over 65 hectares to collect a mammoth two tonnes of rubbish and recyclables.

Associate Director of Built Environment, Dr Helen Whitbread said the high level of participation, which included volunteers from over 30 sections and faculties, was "an expression  of the care the University community has for its own landscape, and more broadly reflects a commitment to the care of our global environment."

As a reward for all their hard work, participants enjoyed a full buffet breakfast supported by the University Club of WA, before starting their work day. Student participants were rewarded with breakfast courtesy of Guild catering.

Team organisers said the initiative enabled staff and students to take action in protecting Matilda Bay's waterways and parklands from harmful waste and keeping the parkland environment of the University free of rubbish.

Protecting these environments is vital considering the Crawley campus is home to more than 55 species of birds and 200 species of plants and Matilda Bay Reserve is a breeding sanctuary for migrating birds.

Pictures of the clean-up effort have been placed in a gallery on the Sustainable Development website .

If you'd like to join the next clean-up event please register your interest with Trish Howard, Ph: 6488 7540, [email protected] .

UWA Clean Up Australia Day team

Facts and figures

Number of participants: 104

Number of departments and faculties represented: 33

Weight of rubbish collected: approximately 2 tonnes

Volume of rubbish collected: approximately 3 cubic metres

Area of land covered: over 65 hectares

Strange objects found: Broken chair, medicines, bones, bike tyre, apron, full can and bottle of beer, money, shopping trolley, flag, mobile phone.

Prize winners

Early registration draw:

Deborah Allen, Disability Officer, Uniskills

Prize: $50 gift voucher at the Co-op Bookshop

Biggest team prizes:

Physics A & Physics A+, from the School of Physics, 12 participants

Queens of Clean, from Public Affairs, 9 participants

Prizes: UWA t-shirts supported by the Co-op Bookshop

Special thanks

University Club of WA

Co-op Bookshop

Event photographer: Magdeline Lum

Guild Catering