ACT Workshops get into the fun of Clean Up Australia Day. Photo by Cpl Belinda Mepham, Army newspaper

Clean up in the bag

By Cpl Belinda Mepham
MANY hands made light work when ACT Workshops snapped on the rubber gloves and cleaned up a pile of filth in Fyshwick.

A vacant block full of domestic and industrial rubbish was the focal point for the section on Clean Up Australia Day.

Cfn Toby Cox organised the event and controlled not only more than 60 bags of carelessly dumped rubbish but also an assortment of dangerous and suspicious material.

“The most disturbing article we had to deal with was used hypodermic needles. They were contaminated and in some you could see blood and substance. It is disgusting that people leave them lying around,” he said.

“We found almost 100 sharps just off Gladstone Street in a small area.”

A freaky and gruesome find was a bunch of bones wrapped in a child’s blanket in a garbage bag.

“The police came and checked the contents. The entire bag was sorted through – fortunately the bones were of animal off-cuts.

“Between the needles, the bones and a four litre marked container of white powder we kept the emergency services on their toes during the clean up.”

Cfn Cox began organising the clean up after he saw a flyer asking for groups for Clean Up Australia Day in McDonald’s.

He applied for the section, had permission granted by DNSDC then attended some local area meetings and recruited his workmates to lend a hand.

During the clean up Cfn Cox rang through progress reports to the area supervisor.

At the completion of the section’s enthusiastic contribution they washed their hands and had a BBQ.

Other items found included hundreds of soiled nappies, more than 20 tyres, a computer, other drug taking utensils (bongs), sex toy packages and a lounge chair.

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