fourcorners Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 The amount of litter in the Goldfields is atrocious. Even when we go out in the bush there are glass bottles smashed everywhere, and they're all clearly from several decades so its been a problem for a long time. After it rains kids run around barefoot in the puddles on the side of the road and I wonder how many of them cut their feet up. At work every few months the office staff have to do a litter pick around site. Which is annoying as we're not the ones making the mess, its the miners. They all just chuck their cigarette butts, used ear plugs and broken safety glasses on the ground and it must be amazing for them to find they all get cleared up by us muppets. I hate the ear plugs especially.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Steve R Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 The first thing we noticed on arrival here was how little litter there was.........................17yrs on and in places it's beginning to look like blackpool promenade in the height of the holiday season..................the only difference being that it's maccas cups and boxes and not fish and chip wrappers. The most annoying thing about it is the council mowers come along and cut the nature strip and chew the cups and other rubbish up at the same time......................the whole lot goes down the storm drains and out into moreton bay and then into turtles gobs................infuriates the hell out of me! I feel your pain, it saddens me to think that people have no idea what all this plastic is doing to the environment. In the Pacific there is an area the size of the USA made up of plastic floating just underneath the surface which will take a 100 years to decompose. I think the companies that make this packaging should be held partly responsible along with the idiots that chuck it on the floor without a thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiechick2006 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 I think each year the local school should have all students taking part in a clean up and graffiti removal program, if they had to scrub walls etc whilst still young it may make them think twice before doing either. When I was at high school in Oz, every Friday afternoon last period, each class had to send a couple of kids out for yard duty. We'd get given gloves and a bag each and sent off to clean the school. It wasn't a punishment, in fact we all loved having an hr or so off school. It even ended up quite competitive to see who got the most. I personally think it's a brilliant idea. I certainly never littered! AC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 I noticed this as well. I wouldnt say its british given that you dont get this in the UK. We have been trained over the years. McDonalds etc should pay to clean it up, theres one every few meters ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moirclan Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 All countrys should adopt singapore's laws on littering, of coarse they won't, so the problem will just get worse. 1st Time Offender for minor litter (eg. cigarette butts, sweet wrapers, bus tickets) = SGD 300 2nd Time Offender & subsequent (or 1st Time offender for major litter ie. anything bigger than a can of Coke) = SGD 500 and court attendance may be required with judges having an option of concurrently ordering a "Corrective Work Order" a.k.a "CWO". ps. CWO is design to humilate offenders by asking them to clean up dirty estates or beaches while doning lumnious jackets bearing "CWO" insignia. Media will be invited to cover the event and such coverages will sometimes be covered in local news. i lived in singapore for six years and didnt see this l enforced , mind you they do have bins readily available , didnt see any prosecutions with chewing gum although we all knew it was illeagal . i was driving along hodges drive this smorning and saw council workers picking up rubbish and bagging it whilst doing pruning , cant say ive noticed a lot of rubbish around the place . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Steve R Posted February 7, 2012 Author Share Posted February 7, 2012 I noticed this as well. I wouldnt say its british given that you dont get this in the UK. We have been trained over the years.McDonalds etc should pay to clean it up, theres one every few meters ! I don't think its the British either, its the arrogant lot that expect other people to do things for them! Maybe the Uk is getting better or you just don't notice it as much. You have less vegetation on the sides of the roads here in WA to hide the rubbish. Has anyone been somewhere in OZ where the litter problem is non existent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 I don't think its the British either, its the arrogant lot that expect other people to do things for them! Maybe the Uk is getting better or you just don't notice it as much. You have less vegetation on the sides of the roads here in WA to hide the rubbish. Has anyone been somewhere in OZ where the litter problem is non existent? My autistic son's bedroom.........................his neurotypical brother's bedroom is a whole different matter. :biggrin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splash77 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 i've noticed alot more since i was here 2 years ago. I'm amazed at the amount of glass given the bush fire risk. I was at macdonalds a few weeks back ,loads of bins but the young lad , decided to throw his wrapper out of the car window. Of course i politely advised him he had dropped something and passed it him back. I blame the brits to be honest why oh why would you blame "the brits"....???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shellybr Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Haven't noticed it were we are but I was at the beach at Mullaloo one Monday and there was loads of it thrown around by the park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toolbox Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 i lived in singapore for six years and didnt see this l enforced , mind you they do have bins readily available , didnt see any prosecutions with chewing gum although we all knew it was illeagal .i was driving along hodges drive this smorning and saw council workers picking up rubbish and bagging it whilst doing pruning , cant say ive noticed a lot of rubbish around the place . Knowing the law would be enforced is often good enough, instead of idle threats like we get in the Uk and Australia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I saw a poor seagull with a black foot yesterday and fishing wire wrapped around its ankle, obviously had strangled and killed its foot. How sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 And honestly, I think its time they brought back the birch for things like graffiti and petty crime. I bet that would stop it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 And honestly, I think its time they brought back the birch for things like graffiti and petty crime. I bet that would stop it. I bet it wouldn't...............'cause no magistrate would send someone for a birching.....................in fact, it would likely reduce the conviction rate. It's like sitting on a murder jury with capital punishment the result of conviction, and asking someone to convict when there was "reasonable doubt"................they would find "reasonable doubt" more readily rather that condemn someone to death. Bring back conscription blah blah blah.................what a load of horlicks.............who wants ne'er do goods in a professional army? :goofy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shauna Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Has anyone else noticed the huge amount of empty beer bottles and plastic drinks containers abandoned along the side of the roads? I live in Rockingham and every major road seems to be blighted. We went to Shark Bay and I was appalled that even at a World Heritage Site people still seem to throw their rubbish out of their windows, which may keep your car clean and tidy but spoils the otherwise beautiful landscape! What are peoples thoughts? OMG im so shocked at this, hoping to arrive in Perth later this year and I thought this was one of the things i would be getting away from in N.Ireland! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Steve R Posted February 8, 2012 Author Share Posted February 8, 2012 OMG im so shocked at this, hoping to arrive in Perth later this year and I thought this was one of the things i would be getting away from in N.Ireland! It is not as bad as Britain for litter, its just that (mainly) bottles just seem to be lying alongside the road on grass verges. It almost seems as if it's an accepted practice over here in WA. I could almost accept it if it was just in built up areas but it's just as bad on the Great Northern Highway, the road to Denham (Shark Bay) from the Overlander Roadhouse and even the road to Monkey Mia! So I don't suppose anywhere else North of there is any better? I drove all the way around Australia 13 years ago and it was spotless, now after being here for the last 6 months I have been dismayed by the change! I can only hope it is just a roadside thing. Yes, most places you go are generally clean and tidy, so I suppose it just sticks out more! Don't let it put you off as it is still a lovely place, its just a problem that needs addressing and as you can see from this thread there are people here that are addressing it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alimay68 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 The streets around Britain disgust me ... piles of fag ends outside pubs and offices, dog poo, trodden-in chewing gum ... not to mention wrappers, beer cans, fast food containers thrown down at random .... It breaks my heart when you see these items strewn on the nature strips as you depart any town or village. I certainly didn't feel the same amount of disgust walking around the Melbourne suburb where we used to live. My kids would not dream of tossing away litter and, certainly at school in Australia, the 'Environment Committee', which my son was involved in, would do the post lunch-time litter collection from around the playground. What better way to promote awareness for a clean environment and not issue 'litter picking' as a punishment (which seems to be the go, certainly at the local high school here in England). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 why oh why would you blame "the brits"....???? Because it's been a problem in the UK for years, far worse than in Oz. The statistics tell us that a high proportion of British immigrants go to WA (where they make up a higher proportion of the population that in any other state). We're just putting 2 and 2 together to make 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splash77 Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Because it's been a problem in the UK for years, far worse than in Oz. The statistics tell us that a high proportion of British immigrants go to WA (where they make up a higher proportion of the population that in any other state). We're just putting 2 and 2 together to make 5. Ive never had as much litter thrown in my garden here in this "GREAT LAND"as people put it..school kids just walking past throwning there half eaten sandwiches, cartons of pop in my garden...its disgusting..graffiti on my fence ALL the time..as soon as the council take it off...guess what...its on again! i never had rubbish thrown in my garden in the uk....or graffiti on my fence...people think this is some kind of magical country, where people dont throw rubbish on the floor, let there dogs **** on the grass...well ive never seen as much here in victoria...its shameless.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Ive never had as much litter thrown in my garden here in this "GREAT LAND"as people put it..school kids just walking past throwning there half eaten sandwiches, cartons of pop in my garden...its disgusting..graffiti on my fence ALL the time..as soon as the council take it off...guess what...its on again! i never had rubbish thrown in my garden in the uk....or graffiti on my fence...people think this is some kind of magical country, where people dont throw rubbish on the floor, let there dogs **** on the grass...well ive never seen as much here in victoria...its shameless.... Which area of Melbourne do you live in? Also interested to read that the council remove graffiti from your fence. Is that a standard council service throughout Australia? They'd only take action if it were a council fence over here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tearose Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I know that there are fines here, I (hangs head i shame) dropped a cigarette butt and was fined...... I want to know if there is anything you can do about people using mobile phones whilst driving ? The times I have been caught behind someone when the light changes to green and they are still sat there talking on mobiles, overtaking whilst nattering, this should be clamped down on, I swear I'm going to take a note of peeps number plates (whilst I am a passenger of coourse), I bet I fill a page in one journey ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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