The Queenstown Lakes District Council is calling for community groups and individuals who want to help clean up the district to register now for Clean Up New Zealand week.

The national week gets underway from September 13 - 19 and QLDC Special Projects Manager Lee Harris wants to hear from all the groups who normally get stuck in to give the district a good spring clean.

"Every year community groups and individuals step forward and nominate a small piece of our district that they would like to focus on.  I'd like to hear from those people as soon as possible", Ms Harris said.

The council's Customer Services officers have maps that split the district into blocks and will be able to assign areas to community groups that don't know where to start.  They will also give out rubbish bags and gloves.

Once again Otago Southland Waste Services has offered their support for Clean Up New Zealand Week by offering to accept all rubbish in official Clean Up New Zealand or QLDC bags for free at the transfer stations in Queenstown and Wanaka.

The QLDC staff and councillors in Queenstown will this year focus on cleaning up the Jean Malpas Wetlands opposite the Gorge Rd Industrial Estate as their project.

"A collective effort district-wide to clean up the rubbish from every public area, road, river, creek and lake would make a massive contribution to our environment", Ms Harris said.

Any non-contaminated waste collected that might be recyclable including cans, tins, plastic bottles 1 and 2, and in Queenstown non-broken glass bottles and jars, can be taken to the recycling centre at the transfer station in QT and Wanaka Wastebusters in Wanaka.

Queenstown Lakes is a Zero Waste Council committed to working towards a waste management system that promotes the reduction, reuse and recycling of a wide range of materials.

ENDS

For further information contact Lee Harris 03 441 0499 or 027 233 7934

By: Kiri