It has been over one month since the Brisbane floods and the ongoing effects are still being felt across the region. Whilst there has been devastating impacts to people, homes, businesses and properties there has also been devastating effects to wildlife and our marine environment.
Right now, beaches are lined with polystyrene that has come from 18 pontoons that were swept away in the Brisbane River. The clean up effort required to remove this litter is huge.
Local councils and MSQ have been involved in removing the pontoons and continue to actively remove the remaining polystyrene in challenging conditions.
Dedicated groups and volunteers have been hitting the sand daily to remove the embedded polystyrene and have done an outstanding job to mobilise the community effort. But more needs to be done as this cleanup will continue for months.
If you are spending the day at the beach please take as much as you can, there are bags available at beach access points.
Thank you to the amazing teams at Coolum Coast Care, Reef Check Australia, Ten Little Pieces, Tangaroa Blue and everyone who has been working tirelessly to clean up since the floods.
We will continue to assess the situation and will advocate for coordinated rapid response teams, clear communication, better standards for marine infrastructure and most of all, adequate resources to ensure this doesn't happen again. As we continue to feel the effects of the climate emergency it is imperative that we are better prepared and have adequate resources to respond to these events.
