Waterway clean ups
Hornsby Council organises several waterway clean-up activities. Keep an eye out on our calendar of events and social media updates to learn about upcoming clean-ups.
Clean4Shore
Protecting Our Waterways Through Community Action
For over a decade, Hornsby Shire Council has partnered with Clean4Shore, providing funding to involve local high schools in hands-on field trips. These outings generally include educational sessions led by Council staff, focusing on catchment and stormwater management issues.
Clean4Shore is a dedicated, not-for-profit community organisation based in MacMasters Beach on the Central Coast of NSW. The program brings together schools, youth groups, disability organisations, community volunteers, and corporate teams to tackle litter and debris along the foreshores of the Hawkesbury River, Brisbane Waters, Tuggerah Lakes System, and more recently, Lower Lake Macquarie and the Hunter River.
The initiative, which has received multiple awards for its impact and innovation, relies heavily on grant funding to engage community groups, hire subcontracting vessels, and manage the transportation and disposal of collected waste. After every Clean4Shore event, a summary of the type and quantity of marine debris collected is documented on a detailed data sheet. This valuable information is shared with the Australian Marine Debris Initiative via the Tangaroa Blue Foundation, contributing to a national database on marine pollution.
Removing litter, particularly plastics and polystyrene, not only enhances the visual appeal of our estuaries but also significantly benefits the health of estuarine and marine ecosystems. Volunteers gain a unique, educational experience—combining environmental stewardship with adventure—while actively addressing the global challenge of waterway pollution.
Clean Up Australia Day
Hornsby Shire Council and Clean Up Australia frequently partners up to organise litter removal from our waterways, parks, bushland, and other sites. Keep an eye out on our socials and calendar of events to participate in council-led events.
Those wishing to participate in clean up events outside of council-led dates, just need to go to Clean Up Australia Day to register and/or join a registered clean up event.
Industry clean-ups
To help keep Hornsby Shire’s waterways clean, Council partners with industries and stakeholders in clean-up events and educational programs.
Since 2020, the Tide to Tip initiative, led by the Australian oyster industry in collaboration with Oceanwatch Australia, has brought people from across NSW together to remove tonnes of marine litter from our estuaries. Hornsby Council regularly participates in the Hawkesbury River Tide to Tip cleanups by joining forces with local oyster farmers, community groups and Central Coast Council. The latest Tide to Tip was no different, with over 700kgs of marine debris (including plastic bags, bottles, and polystyrene foam) being removed by a team of 18 people and 5 boats at various locations along the lower Hawkesbury estuary.