Pre-cyclone season clean-ups underway

15 December 2015

Girls from Gunbalanya School and West Arnhem Girls Academy join in for the clean-up day.

Cyclone season is drawing near, so the West Arnhem Regional Council is asking residents across our region to think about their cyclone preparedness.

This includes clearing away any loose rubbish that could become a hazard in high winds. Making preparations in this way may help save both lives and property.

Now is the best time to clear your residence or workplace of unwanted materials or rubbish.

GUNBALANYA

Cyclone preparation is already well underway in Gunbalanya, with a cleanup day organised by Contarf Academy with support from WARC, Police, West Arnhem Girls Academy and Gunbalanya School.

Council Services Manager Chrissie Nichols says the WARC crew has placed skip bins around the community, which are being moved regularly.

“Residents are encouraged to make use of them to clear out unwanted waste,” she said.

MINJILANG

Former Council Services Manager in Minjilang, Mark Ellenden - who this month moved to Maningrida - says WARC had been working with JobFind to clean up the Croker Island community.

“We’ve had JobFind participants doing walk patrols from house-to-house, cleaning up rubbish with tenants, and putting it in black rubbish bags out on street, where our works crews pick them up,” he said.

As a community service we have been parking a small tipper around community, and residents can also flick their white goods into the bucket of our loader. We’ve pretty much been doing the standard clean-up around the community for this time of year.”

WARRUWI

Warruwi was evacuated twice during last year’s cyclone season, and a cyclone shelter promised by the NT Government is yet to be built, so WARC is taking steps to help minimise the risk.

Council Services Manager Kupa Teao said the Goulburn Island community came together for a Community Clean-up Day on Friday 20 November.

“I engaged the support from the other stakeholders to assist with the half day event and it went well,” Mr Teao told The Wire.

MANINGRIDA

The coastal community of Maningrida is continuing its Community Clean-up Competition this year, with four prizes for the tidiest yards to be awarded later this month.

Malabam Health Board launched the successful competition last year with help from WARC, Environmental Health Top End, local Police, and the RJCP job provider program.

Now based in Maningrida, Community Services Manager Mark Ellenden said council workers were also going around the community with a loader and two tip trucks to collect unwanted waste.