There is an unorthodox approach underway to clean some of the region’s beaches after rubbish washed ashore earlier this year.
Noosa Council is deploying an industrial vacuum as part of the effort to remove polystyrene waste from the pontoons that washed ashore and broke up during the floods.
Mounted on a four-wheel-drive vehicle, the vacuum is equipped with a screen to filter polystyrene particles from the sand, so the sand can be returned to the beach, free of the polystyrene material.
Council’s Acting Environment Services Manager Shaun Walsh said the vacuum was for the two most affected locations.
It was put through its paces in the vicinity of Beach Access 40 at Castaways Beach on Tuesday and will continue Wednesday near the surf club at Peregian Beach.
“We’d hoped to deploy the vacuum earlier this month but the ongoing heavy rain hampered our plans,” Mr Walsh said.
“As per our original plan we’ll be concentrating on the dunes behind the beach where the wind has swept a lot of the smaller polystyrene particles.
“With no purpose-built technology for tackling this issue – the removal of polystyrene pollution from beaches – there are a lot of stakeholders watching how this operation goes.
“The vacuum operation …. (is) weather dependent.”
Council crews follow the vacuum crew, collecting remaining particles by hand.
“We thank the community for their tremendous efforts supporting the clean-up by hand in recent weeks. It’s been a huge help in tackling this problem so far,” Mr Walsh said.
“Bags are still available at the busier beach access points for anyone who’d like to help the clean-up by filling a bag and returning it to the access point when done.”
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