Right behind coastal clean ups

Allied Petroleum, a sponsor of the Southern Coastal Charitable Trust, was thrilled to support the first of their 2021 beach clean ups recently. Our videographer caught some amazing footage of stunning coastlines, and the Trust’s important work. This group is supported by many other sponsors, and volunteers, and for a couple decades have removed rubbish washed up on shorelines. Concentrating on Fiordland, Milford Sound and Stewart Island, staggeringly, during some years they have removed up to 20 tons of rubbish.

July’s cleanup targeted accessible beaches from Port Craig to Preservation Inlet, with teams helicoptered in. As a supporter Allied Petroleum provided 5000L of diesel to long-time customer Rakiura Shipping, who provided the vessel to transport the collected rubbish away. Conditions are not for the faint hearted, involving long days of scrabbling over rocky remote coastline…and then there’s the sandflies!

The most recent took place on Stewart Island's Western Coastline. Thanks to 16 dedicated volunteers, 42 cubic meters of rubbish were collected and safely removed from the shore.

Over the years, 19.9 tonnes of rubbish was collected on the first clean-up, then 16.9 and approximately 9 tonnes in 2021. The team is seeing the reward in their previous clean-up efforts as stints along the Fiordland Coastline have helped reduce the amount of waste that would typically wash back out and end up around Stewarts Island. Together, we're making a difference.

For more information head along to southerncoastal.org.nz