QLPA CatchUp!

Welcome to the second issue of the QLPA CatchUp!

All the paperwork concerning the establishment of the QLPA has now been finalised. The Queensland Litter Prevention Alliance Inc. is now an incorporated association with ABN and is registered for GST.

We are now able to invoice partners for annual membership and we are emailing Tax Invoices with this Newsletter. Please print, fill out and return to QLPA PO Box 129 Tewantin Qld 4565. As promised, we have kept Council and NGO memberships to a minimum.

These memberships are important, and along with funding from SEQ Catchments form the QLPA operating budget for the remainder of the 06-07 financial year.

Thanks to Emanuel for his assistance in securing SEQ Catchments funding.

In this issue

Roma - Bin there, won that! Tidy town and Green and Healthy Schools award winners.

Anna Ricketts has given our auditing table and equipment a big thumbs up! Check out the story Ipswich Council 'Away from Home' Recycling Trials.

Baby news. It's a boy!

Interested in tackling the Fishing Litter issue? Check out our newest resource An 8 step guide to Running a Fishing Line Recovery Bin Program.

Roma - Bin there, won that!

The Western Queensland community of Roma has been announced as Queensland's Tidiest Town 2006, taking out the overall title in this year's prestigious Ergon Energy Tidy Towns competition. Roma out-performed 190 other entrants to claim the coveted title.

Keep Australia Beautiful Queensland CEO Kylie Johnston said Roma's win was the result of an outstanding council and community partnership.

"Roma is a community committed to enhancing quality of life for its residents while honouring its rich cultural heritage," Ms Johnston said. "The people of Roma are friendly, enthusiastic and dedicated to caring for their unique environment."

Check out more on the Tidy Towns website.

Meanwhile, Townsville picked up the RACQ Litter Prevention Award for its outstanding achievements in litter education and management.

Ms Johnston said Townsville's Integrated Litter Management Strategy ensured a whole-of-council approach to litter and encouraged broad community participation in preventing and reducing litter.

"Townsville is leading the way when it comes to litter, with a strong Don't Waste Townsville campaign, a range of media activity and advertising, an excellent education program and initiatives such as Butt-Free City Week," Ms Johnston said.

"This dynamic and proactive approach to litter management and education is evident throughout the city."

Ergon Energy Tidy Towns 2007 will get underway in January. For more information, visit www.keepaustraliabeautiful.org.au/towns

The State winner for Greenest and Healthiest School was Miles SHS, while Laidley State High took out the State award for Litter Prevention.

More information can be found at the Green and Healthy Schools website.

Ipswich Council 'Away from Home' Recycling Trials

Ipswich Waste Services was awarded a grant by BIEC back in February 2006 to manage a research project focussing on public place recycling.

The 'Away from Home' recycling project assesses people's willingness to recycle in public places and the infrastructure that can be put into place to make this process easier and more successful.

The trial has taken place in 4 different level parks in Ipswich. Each fortnight since August, different bin configurations and signage have been used on the 240 litre bins in the parks. Fortnightly waste audits have then been carried out on these bins to determine levels of recycling and contamination.

In addition to the audits, we are also carrying out observational surveys of park users littering and waste disposal behaviours and conducting questionnaires. The trial will be completed by mid- December and the results will then be published in a report.

It's a Boy!

Manny Manatakis from the Australian Food and Grocery Council (formally BIEC) and his partner Gemma are the proud parents of a baby boy.

"Perry" came into the world on the 18th July, 15½ weeks early, weighing just 700g. Not due for another 3 weeks, and weighing a strapping 2.5kg, Perry is now ready to go home under a hospital at home program.

New resource on the QLPA website.

Interested in tackling the fishing litter issue? The Queensland Litter Prevention Alliance has produced the 8 step guide to Running a Fishing Line Recovery Bin Program.

The Fishing Line Recovery Project was an initiative of Ocean Watch Australia, supported by the Noosa Integrated Catchment Association and Noosa Council in the ecologically sensitive Noosa River. An initial four-month trial was conducted as a University student project, with the installation of 'Fishing Line Recovery Bins' at popular recreational fishing spots throughout the Shire.

The trial was overseen by Ocean Watch and NICA to ensure the effects of discarded recreational fishing line were properly assessed and evaluated. At the conclusion of these trials the project was evaluated, all bins reinstalled, some relocated, new bins were also installed using a Council contractor.

The program was then handed over to NICA's Noosa Volunteer River Ranger Program to manage with whom it has been successfully running for over a year. NICA has offered the final report and developed servicing and safety templates to QLPA for use of its partners.

From this report QLPA has developed the 8 step guide to Running a Fishing Line Recovery Bin Program.

This guide details an eight-part process, for starting and successfully running your own Fishing Line Recovery Bin Program including:

• Identifying the issues;
• Identify Key stakeholder;
• Scoping your sites;
• Bin construction and installation;
• Collection and maintenance advice;
• Raising public awareness tools; and
• Project monitoring.

QLPA Meetings

At the last executive committee meeting it was decided that, as we are all very busy and geographically distanced, we will keep the general member meetings to a minimum, instead keeping the partners informed and involved through emails and the QLPA website.

As such we will conduct 2 general member meetings annually at which time we will introduce new initiatives.

The next General member meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 31st January, 2007 at which time we will table the draft strategy for the QLPA for your input. Executive member meetings will be held quarterly to deal with the more mundane financial and organisational issues.

QLPA Strategic Planning plan

Now that all the work's done setting up the Alliance as an incorporated association we can now get onto the business of best servicing our partners' needs. From your requests and burning issues will come the Queensland Litter Prevention Alliance Strategic plan.

The initial skeleton of the strategic plan will be presented at the next partners' meeting in January. In the meantime keep your eye on the website for new information.