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One thing we can guarantee is that it isn’t picnicking on a beautiful day in amongst a collection of fast food wrappers.
Neither is it enjoying an amazing view from Porky while knee-deep in tins and broken glass.
For some reason, some people in Gunnedah feel unequal to the task of disposing of their own rubbish.
Almost daily, small groups of people are gathering at Porcupine Reserve, near Cohens Bridge and at other scenic spots around town.
There’s nothing wrong with that, that’s what parks and reserves are for.
The problem is that for these people, part of the attraction of these beautiful places is leaving them a lot less beautiful when they leave.
Spots peppered with McDonalds and KFC wrappers seem to be becoming more and more common.
There are often bins close by, but the rubbishing – and sometimes the ploughing up of the grass by doing burn-outs – seems to be part of the fun.
Often, a good samaritan or council worker or both will clean it up, leaving it once again a pleasant place for the same group to come back to again.
Not only does rubbish make parks, reserves and roadways unsightly, but it takes away from the fragile efforts of individuals and organisations such as Landcare who are trying to restore some sort of environmental value to the world we live in.
It’s both embarrassing and mortifying to look down on the Namoi River and find it looking like a rubbish tip, particularly when that is one of the assets of which we are most proud.
It’s not good for the look of our town, and it’s not good for the health of our shire.
It only takes one piece of rubbish from each of us to create a mess, so next time you go to throw something out of the car window, think again. One Clean Up Australia Day a year can’t fix a year’s damage.