Clean up patrols hit beaches

The Australian and South Australian Governments are accelerating co-ordinated beach clean up patrols across South Australia’s beaches, supporting coastal councils to keep beaches clean amid the algal bloom.

The Algal Bloom Response Coordination Unit is leading the clean up patrols, drawing on expertise from Department for Environment and Water field officers, rangers and emergency services personnel, and working with multiple organisations to support coastal councils cleaning up dead fish and other marine life along South Australia’s beaches.

This work is being funded through the jointly funded algal response and recovery package by the Albanese and Malinauskas Governments.

The clean up patrols will include:

• Disaster Relief Australia, a national veteran-led not for profit organisation, who will deploy 30 personnel to assist metropolitan Adelaide councils with beach monitoring and cleanup activities.
• IPA Rangers from the Point Pearce Aboriginal Corporation, who will conduct daily patrols, record their findings, and coordinate clean-ups on prioritised beaches on Yorke Peninsula.
• The Goolwa Pipi Company will redeploy harvesting employees, currently laid off due to the closure of their pipi operation, to coastal patrols and cleanup from the River Murray Mouth to Encounter Bay.

Surf Life Saving South Australia will also be partnering with the beach clean up effort, providing access to their facilities for staging purposes. Their involvement will ensure the clean-up effort is closely tied to the community and leverages their deep connections to community and their local knowledge and understanding of our local beach environments across our coastlines.