Help Keep kunanyi/Mt Wellington Pristine

Published on 01 March 2024

The City of Hobart is calling on the community to join hands in preserving the natural beauty of kunanyi/Mount Wellington by participating in a special Clean Up Australia Day event organised by the City’s Bushcare team.

Tomorrow (Saturday, 2 March), this initiative aims to tackle a unique challenge faced at the mountain’s summit.

Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said this was a significant event and a chance for the community to give back to the City’s iconic natural asset.

"kunanyi/Mt Wellington is a jewel of our city, and it's our collective responsibility to ensure its preservation ,” Cr Reynolds said.

“While most of our beautiful mountain bushland remains litter free, people often don’t realise that with an elevation over 1.2km, the summit experiences the highest wind gusts in the state.

“These wind gusts can take visitors by surprise, making them unsuspecting litterbugs.

"Lightweight items such as paper, wrappers, coffee cups and sometimes even valuables like cash are easily whisked out of cars and hands and deposited in bushes and rock crevices."

Cr Reynolds said the littering at the summit was rarely deliberate, but its impact on the environment was significant.

“Last year alone, 74kg of lightweight rubbish was collected during similar efforts, and the previous year saw even more at 145kg,” she said.

“This underscores the importance of our ongoing efforts to keep our mountain beautiful and wild."

Chair of Hobart's Sustainability in Infrastructure Portfolio Cr Bill Harvey praised the collaborative spirit required for this endeavour.

"Preserving kunanyi/Mount Wellington's litter-free status requires collective action,” Cr Harvey said.

“By participating in the Clean Up Australia Day event, community members demonstrate their commitment to environmental stewardship and contribute to the ongoing conservation of this natural treasure.

“Let's come together and make a tangible difference in protecting our mountain for generations to come."

The Clean Up Australia Day event on kunanyi/Mount Wellington will commence at 10am on Saturday, 2 March, meeting at the Pinnacle carpark.

Bags, gloves and equipment will be provided, but participants are advised to bring warm clothes, wet weather gear, sturdy shoes and lots of energy.

For further details and registration, please visit https://www.hobartcity.com.au/clean-up-australia-day, email bushcare@hobartcity.com.au or call 03 6238 2884.