Clean Up Australia Day
Every year on the first Sunday of March, local Councils and community clubs participate in Clean Up Australia Day to protect our local environment.
Founded in 1989 by Ian Kiernan, over 21 million Aussies have banded together with gloves and bags in hand, to remove excess plastic waste within local communities. Clean Up Australia Day is now a significant national event that fosters a sense of stewardship for our beautiful natural environments and brings people together in a united cause. 
Last Sunday on March the 3rd, various events took place within the Hills and Hawkesbury council areas to increase biodiversity as well as safeguarding the environment for future generations to come.
At Caddies Creek Park Reserve in North Kellyville, Hills Shire Mayor Dr. Peter Gangemi, local councillors and the Hills Youth Army all participated to protect this local waterway.
Platypus researcher Dr Michelle Ryan also made a visit on-site, sharing some amazing tips on how local residents can promote a healthy habitat to improve the platypus population.
Between them volunteers collected 11 bags of rubbish, including soft plastics, cigarette butts, batteries as well as a bicycle, shopping trolley, Motorcycle boots and a gridiron ball just to name a few. 
Clean Up Australia Day saw other individuals and 25 local community groups getting involved such as Crestwood Lions Club, who transformed Crestwood Park. Members picked up four bags of rubbish and a lot of plastic waste from the creek.
Richmond Lions Club cleaned up at Macquarie Park Wilberforce.
At Marsden Park the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Australia organised a clean-up. Norwest Sunrise Rotary Club had a small group at Castle Hill Showground.
Club president Robert Bredin said: “Our club was in the midst of running our first Mental Well-Being Connect event at the Harvey Lowe Pavilion but we still took time out to do a clean up.”
“Our club has a passion for the environment and Maria Puzon, our Environment director, ensures that we have several clean ups each year, sometimes in partnership with Hills Rotaract.”
There were over 10,000 clean-up sites registered nationally and over 750,000 volunteers.
