Queensland Police Union Journal

Clean Up Horn Island Day
Down in the mangroves near the jetty.
hesitant to get involved in things,’
says Senior Constable Cheryl
Markwell, A/Snr Const Young’s
partner who is herself based on
Thursday Island. ‘It was a great turnout
of about 70 people ranging from
toddlers to retirees who were all
out in the rain for hours picking up
rubbish.’
A/Snr Const Young (tallest in photo with blue cap) and some of the local volunteers.
approximately 70 people assembled for the rubbish,’ A/Snr Const Young
at the SES shed, when Clean Up Horn continues. ‘Then we had two utes
Island Day really began.
being used, and then a four tonne
tipper had to be brought in because
‘We found all sorts of stuff,’ A/Snr we got so much stuff.’
Const says. ‘In the water, we pulled
out bed frames, tires, car batteries, After four hours of collecting
and ghost nets which are tidal
over a tipper’s worth of rubbish,
nets that have been tied up in the the volunteers were ready for the
mangroves and aren’t supposed to be celebratory sausage sizzle organised
in there.’
by A/Snr Const Young at the SES shed.
‘We went through three massive ‘There were tunes playing and it was
rainstorms, but it was good to see a great little get together by the end
everyone keep going. Once you’re of the day,’ he says. ‘There was a
wet, you’re wet.’
great feel about the whole thing.’
‘We started off with a ute being ‘It went amazingly well for such a
donated by one of the council workers small island which is sometimes
“It was a great turnout
of about 70 people
ranging from toddlers
to retirees who were
all out in the rain
for hours picking up
rubbish.”
Since Clean Up Horn Island Day, A/
Snr Const Young has been in touch
with the council about supplying
more street-based wheelie bins.
There are 30 bins now earmarked for
new positions around town.
‘Also, one of the teachers and I
are looking into setting up a can
recycling program,’ A/Snr Const says.
‘There’s no recycling base here, and
everything has to be shipped back to
the mainland, but we have heard that
Thursday Island does it, so I’m going
to look into organising it for Horn.’
Queensland Police Union Journal June 2013
41