Stop mechanical beach raking on Australia's coastlines
The issue
I’ve dedicated 15 years to cleaning Australia’s beaches, work that’s been recognised with an Order of Australia Medal, Australian of the Year Local Hero, and the Dame Phyllis Frost Award, along with multiple litter prevention awards. Since 2018, I’ve been part of a growing team advocating to stop mechanical beach raking, because we’ve seen firsthand that it doesn’t help - it makes the problem worse.
The tractor that drags the rake buries litter deeper and fragments it into smaller pieces instead of removing it. So despite our efforts and the efforts of volunteers alongside us, we’re faced with the same task over and over. Worse, we’re paying twice for a process that fails - our rates and taxes fund a raking practice that undermines its own purpose.
This isn’t just an ecological concern - it’s a public safety issue. Buried hazards like glass and needles stay in the sand instead of being removed, putting families and children at risk on beaches they trust are safe.
We’ve already proven there’s a better way. Our team helped secure a 18-month hand-cleaning trial that delivered cleaner beaches, visible dune regeneration, and the rediscovery of an endangered coastal plant. Despite this evidence and against officers’ own recommendations, the decision was reversed and mechanical raking was brought back - leaving volunteers to once again carry the burden of a process that was supposed to help, not create more work.
We’ve seen what happens when we ignore warnings like this. Dragline scallop dredging in Port Phillip Bay didn’t just deplete the scallops - it destroyed the seabed habitat they depended on, and it never recovered. Mechanical beach raking is on the same trajectory. If we don’t act now, we risk the same kind of permanent loss along our coastlines.
This is also a generational issue. Every year we let this continue, we teach our children to clean up after an ineffective system instead of showing them what real coastal stewardship looks like.
The evidence exists. The proven method exists. What’s missing is the political will to make it permanent - and that’s where people power comes in.
Join our team and the growing number of communities calling for an end to mechanical beach raking, and for governments to adopt the hand-cleaning methods already shown to work. Sign this petition to help secure a healthier, safer coastline for today and future generations.
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The issue
I’ve dedicated 15 years to cleaning Australia’s beaches, work that’s been recognised with an Order of Australia Medal, Australian of the Year Local Hero, and the Dame Phyllis Frost Award, along with multiple litter prevention awards. Since 2018, I’ve been part of a growing team advocating to stop mechanical beach raking, because we’ve seen firsthand that it doesn’t help - it makes the problem worse.
The tractor that drags the rake buries litter deeper and fragments it into smaller pieces instead of removing it. So despite our efforts and the efforts of volunteers alongside us, we’re faced with the same task over and over. Worse, we’re paying twice for a process that fails - our rates and taxes fund a raking practice that undermines its own purpose.
This isn’t just an ecological concern - it’s a public safety issue. Buried hazards like glass and needles stay in the sand instead of being removed, putting families and children at risk on beaches they trust are safe.
We’ve already proven there’s a better way. Our team helped secure a 18-month hand-cleaning trial that delivered cleaner beaches, visible dune regeneration, and the rediscovery of an endangered coastal plant. Despite this evidence and against officers’ own recommendations, the decision was reversed and mechanical raking was brought back - leaving volunteers to once again carry the burden of a process that was supposed to help, not create more work.
We’ve seen what happens when we ignore warnings like this. Dragline scallop dredging in Port Phillip Bay didn’t just deplete the scallops - it destroyed the seabed habitat they depended on, and it never recovered. Mechanical beach raking is on the same trajectory. If we don’t act now, we risk the same kind of permanent loss along our coastlines.
This is also a generational issue. Every year we let this continue, we teach our children to clean up after an ineffective system instead of showing them what real coastal stewardship looks like.
The evidence exists. The proven method exists. What’s missing is the political will to make it permanent - and that’s where people power comes in.
Join our team and the growing number of communities calling for an end to mechanical beach raking, and for governments to adopt the hand-cleaning methods already shown to work. Sign this petition to help secure a healthier, safer coastline for today and future generations.
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Petition created on 24 August 2026