YESTERDAY was a day for cuddling up on the couch with a good book, but not for the dedicated citizens who braved the rain for Clean Up Australia Day.
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The downpour started only an hour after the first volunteers began their mission at Elephant Park, with about 40 people turning up for the first stage of the clean-up.
Tidy Towns committee member Alison Banks said the start of the day had been positive.
“We had an excellent turnout until the rain came and thwarted our efforts,” she said.
Volunteers pulled two shopping trolleys out of the creek and picked up several bags of general litter, including food packages and drink bottles.
Elephant Park was one of 21 registered sites around Orange.
Volunteers focused on areas around the waterways which help supply drinking water via the city’s stormwater harvesting scheme.
Mrs Banks has been involved on the Tidy Towns committee for about 15 years and hopes that ultimately Clean Up Australia Day will not be necessary if people learn to be responsible with their rubbish.
“It’s important to make our environment as safe for our children and grandchildren as possible. Education through schools is important. If they’re taught through schools that if you drop it you pick it up it will help,” she said.