LEETON shire residents have been urged to spare an hour or two of their time this weekend and participate in Clean Up Australia Day.
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Leeton Shire Council and the Leeton Tidy Towns Committee have again teamed up to be part of the annual event.
Residents have been encouraged to don gloves, hats and sturdy boots and take part in a clean up of the town.
Registering is a must for the event and can be completed at Mountford Park on Sunday from 9am.
Council manager of planning and environment Kelly Tyson said most residents would be aware of the Clean Up Australia Day event.
“We’ll be cleaning up the town area, in and around Palm and Acacia avenues,” she said.
“It’s all about looking after our environment.
“People today are very conscious about that and know how important is is that we look after our surrounds.
“The other component is it gets the community together for a good cause.
“You’re helping out and you do feel good about it.
“It’s only a couple of hours out of the day.
“We’re hoping to get a good turnout. It’s a good activity for families to do together.”
Since Clean Up Australia started 25 years ago it has become the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
Volunteers have donated more than 27.2 million hours towards caring for the environment through the event, by removing an estimated 288,650 tonnes of rubbish from 145,754 sites across the country.
Councillor Peter Davidson said it was important residents took part.
“Having a tidy town reflects on who we are as a community,” Cr Davidson said.
“I doubt anyone wants to see rubbish lying around.
“This year there’s the added incentive. Everyone that participates gets a $5 voucher from McDonald’s.”
As part of the event residents have also been encouraged to be mindful of weeds around town and on nature strips.
The Tidy Towns Committee has encouraged residents to help get rid of weeds such as cat heads and khaki weed in footpaths and nature strips while out doing their own gardening.
“If we all chip in and clean up our little patch we can get a handle on these terrors,” councillor Michael Kidd said.
Various schools, including Parkview Public, Leeton Public, Gralee and St Francis College are all participating in the Clean Up Australia Day schools event.
“We really want to thank them for registering and to acknowledge their efforts,” Mrs Tyson said.
“They do a really great job.”
To be part of Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday register at Mountford Park from 9am.