Following weeks of wet weather, the Peninsula has begun the clean-up … one fridge, one pontoon, one water drum at a time.
It’s been a mass community effort with areas across the Peninsula seeing tonnes of debris litter the beaches after the latest flood disaster.
Even a horse was found washed up on Ettalong Beach.
According to Central Coast and Hunter Valley Horse and Livestock Evacuation & Rescue Aid, the Clydesdale mare drifted in floodwaters from the McDonald River into the Hawkesbury River before ending up at Ettalong on March 11.
The horse has since been removed from the beach by Council staff and the owner notified.
Photo: Clean4Shore
Local environmental group, Clean4Shore are among those helping up with the clean-up effort across the Central Coast.
Owner of Clean4Shore, Graham Johnston, said his teams have seen a significant amount of debris wash up at Patonga, collecting over 2.6 tonnes of waste on just one day at the beachside suburb.
He said his teams collected numerous tyres, fridges, cladding, water drums, and an inflatable vessel at Patonga, along with local residents on March 13.
“The large water tank is still standing, too big for our vessel, and a lounge chair and double bed base also too difficult on this trip,” Johnston said.
“Car tyres, eight bags of small litter, drums [were] buckets also removed.
“Debris is consistent along the rocky foreshore towards Lion Island.
“Returning to the main jetty beach, covered in timber debris, the locals and kids had assembled large and small items close to the beach for the Clean4shore small team of Paula, Steve, Shelly and Logan to load into the barge, which quickly filled.
“The barge was very full of rubbish being gathered, the good call was to off load the barge into the Council skip bins, then back in the water to ‘fill her up again’.”
Johnston credited the previous ‘clean up’ work volunteers had undertaken last year for the reason the Coast is not seeing mass flood debris wash up on the beaches.
Clean4Shore will now take students onto the Brisbane Water to help with the clean-up, while others will return to Patonga.
Central Coast Council said the majority of debris has washed up at Patonga, Ocean Beach and Umina Beach.
“More debris is expected as a result of the floodwaters coming down from the upper Hawkesbury River,” a Council spokesperson said.
“Council crews commenced clean-up of debris stockpiling and removal at Ocean Beach and Umina on March 9 and are continuing to undertake clean-up activities.
“In addition, Council has been working with Clean4Shore removing debris at Patonga, with assistance from the Federal government’s Environmental Restoration Fund.
“Two coastal operations crews and contractors attended Umina and Ocean Beach carrying out beach clean-up with 35 tonne collected to date, this figure will increase greatly with stockpiled material taken to council landfill over the coming days.”
Meanwhile, beaches remain closed due to large dangerous sea conditions.
Those affected by the latest wet weather could be eligible for flood assistance through the Disaster Relief Grant.
More information is available by going to nsw.gov.au and searching ‘disaster recovery’ or call 1800 018 444.
Maisy Rae