10 Green and Brown bottles

Went for my morning walk along White Beach at Dalkeith today and did my usual rubbish pick up. The plastic tide wasnt too bad even after Australia Day but the glass tide is disturbing. Lots of broken glass on the beach. Seems to me that people just chuck their bottles overboard thinking they will happily fill up and float to the bottom to become home to a baby crab but many are making it to the beach to be smashed on the rocks and become hazards to walkers and their children and dogs!
What is wrong with these people? Any rubbish  be it plastic or glass or paper needs to stay on their boats!

I think you should have bought bigger bags!

In the last 10 days I have walked along White Beach four times and I started collecting rubbish because it seemed to be a growing problem. I put the extra rubbish down to more boating activity due to summer and the Festive Season but it is distressing to see what is being thrown overboard! I have always considered boaties to be at one with the environment but I think they are losing the plot! Today, thankfully with the help of Paula and her two daughters, we collected  3 big bags of rubbish and had to leave some for the next persons to collect. A sample of the debris? 3 water bottles, a cap, lid off large Tupperware container, two thongs (not even a pair!) 20 tops off cool drink bottles, plastic cups, foam cups, crab float and rope, lots of plastic, sweet wrappers, bra lining, plastic stripping, etc.
Just not good enough folks and it needs to improve quickly or our river is going to drown in a plastic tide!
If you are a Skipper monitor your guests, if you are a family picknicking monitor your rubbish!
Simple Rule? Take home what you bring! Its not hard to do!

How fast is too fast?

We have several different speed limits in the Swan River upstream of the Narrows Bridge and downstream of Blackwall Reach but perhaps we need to adopt one uniform speed limit, aside from designated jetski and ski locations? The wake from boats pound the beaches, seawalls, boats in pens and smaller craft on the river so what if it was an 8 Knot blanket speed for power boats (and sail boats under power) to stop the wash and save a few million litres of fuel? After all isnt the journey as important as the destination? What is the rush do we really count saved minutes as being the difference between a good or bad day? I think knot!

Swan River Saviours

Have a look at the flooding of The Esplanade pre opening of The Narrows!   A massive amount of river bed has been taken away to allow for progress and this in a country where land is barely scarce! No chance this would happen today! My logic says if you are halving the surface area you need to double the depth?

Swan River Saviours

Ever wondered if Dolphins and Fish can read? Chemicals and paints and solvents carry warning messages such as dont inhale vapour, wash off skin immediately, wearprotective clothing, do not ingest, induce vomiting if ingested etc etc but what about the occupants of The Swan? How do they protect themselves from these man made chemicals that are dumped illegally or ignorantly into this waterway? Their only chance is to rely upon us to safeguard them from these dangers so if you see anything suspicious or unusual in your part of The Swan report it immediately! Even stopping small amounts of dumping or spillage helps the environment!

Swan River Saviours

Talk talk and more talk! For the past decade we have heard the talk and seen new committees, investigative groups and management grops but its time to walk the walk! The Swan is sick and it doesnt need anymore type on paper it needs action! Firstly lets established what has changed in the Swan since we arrived here - European man, boats, pesticides, fertilisers, oils, diesel, paints, rubbish, car bodies, moorings, runoff and silting, declining rainfall and flushing, man made walls barriers and spits, Then lets work out how we might reverse some or all of that negative activity and try bring the Swan back to life? I have some ideas some basic some advanced some a bit zany and some that will cause a reaction from readers but lets take it to the Nth degree then work back from there. If you have some ideas let me know. I particularly would like feedback from our older members of the Swan River community so if you know someone who spent their childhood or whole life on and around the Swan get them to contribute their thoughts! In 5 years we can solve this problem!
Your time starts now........