These have been thrown away by the people who use the skate park.

These discarded items will eventually find their way into the creek, and if not successfully captured by the downstream gross pollutant trap could eventually find their way to the ocean, contributing to the annual eight million tonnes of plastic waste we contribute to our oceans each year.

According to the latest check on the Return and Earn website, 1,411,449, 651 drink containers have been returned since the beginning of the NSW Container Deposit Scheme, indicating that most of us have responded well to this initiative.

For some reason, the incentive of a cash return for a plastic drink container does not appear to appeal to many of those who use the skate park.

On Saturday, March 3, Australia will once again turn out in numbers to observe Clean Up Australia Day. Doubtless there will be a group of volunteers who will spend the morning of that day cleaning up the discarded refuse from the skate park (including two shopping trolleys from the creek).

During the clean-up they will probably be passively observed by the skateboarders and bike riders who will be using the park at the time, some of whom will have contributed to the rubbish that the well meaning volunteers are picking up on their behalf.

The depressing fact is that, from previous experience, the same amount of rubbish will be there the next Clean Up Australia Day. It would be great to be proved wrong in this regard.

Clearly there needs to be a change of attitude from the John Lomas Skate Park patrons. Clean Up Australia Day could be the day for this change to occur.

The motto for the day is 'Change Starts With You' - highly appropriate in the case of these young people.

There will be a clean-up event at Moulder Park on the day. It will run from 10am to 1pm, and participants are asked to register from 10am at Elephant Park.

A barbecue lunch and drinks will be provided. Volunteers are reminded to wear suitable clothing and footwear. Gloves, bags and sunscreen will be provided.

I invite the young people who use the skate park, and their parents, to join us.