Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Friday, the 2018 National Landcare Awards were held in Brisbane. I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate a particular and very special award winner, Clean4Shore, who took home this year's People's Choice Award. Clean4Shore are an outstanding organisation based in my electorate of Robertson, on the Central Coast. They've been delivering an important environmental education program to keep our waterways clean.

The thing that sets Clean4Shore apart is really the way that they work together to connect with the community, working with local school groups, local businesses, youth organisations, Indigenous groups and individuals living with a disability. This award is an incredible achievement for Graham, or 'Jono', Johnston—as we all know him—and the whole team of Clean4Shore volunteers, as they won the category from a pool of 64 national finalists. Jono told me that the award meant so much, as it was the only Landcare award that was decided by the public, which is a really significant achievement.

Last year, they removed around 57 tonnes of litter from our waterways in more than 70 trips and collected more than 100,000 pieces of plastic, polystyrene and other litter. I'm pleased to say that Clean4Shore have been able to continue their work, funded for three years as part of our local environment plan for the Central Coast, which Jono says has provided the organisation with the stability and structure needed for the program. I'm looking forward to seeing them grow. I know that Jono's dream is to see this running not just on the Central Coast but across the nation.