Our dedicated volunteers, Maria and Sue, advocating for litter-free roads.

The Australian Conservation Foundation (Mornington Community Group) is calling
on the State Government and the Environmental Protection Authority to immediately
implement sustainable procedures to ensure roadside cleanliness in Victoria on an
ongoing basis.
The organisation believes roadside litter has significantly increased since Covid, and
is creating traffic hazards, drain blockage issues as well as various environmental
issues.
“The current situation is not acceptable,” said ACF Mornington Community Group
member Maria Remova. “The level of the roadside contamination in the area is very
high. Not only is it disheartening and ugly to local residents and our millions of
visitors each year, but it is also detrimental to the environment.”
“Uncleared rubbish eventually breaks down into micro- and nanoplastics, which end
up in the soil, waterways, reservoirs and the bay, digested by wildlife, plants and
humans.”
The group is calling for the government and EPA to:
- Take immediate action to clean and decontaminate the roadsides and increase the
frequency of roadside cleaning to “as needed”.
- Provide transparency about the cleaning subcontractors and ensure there is
immediate action in case of poor performance.
- Restore an emergency littering reporting line with responses from VicRoads.
- Install road signs advocating for litter prevention and introduce litter cameras. The
revenue from fines would provide a significant and ongoing source of budget income.