Eve Lamb
Eve Lamb
Castlemaine’s Rod Hadfield is not impressed with what’s been appearing in his patch lately.
The well-known local hot rod collector and enthusiast says he’s disgusted by the amount of litter he’s noticed discarded along the Pyrenees Highway at Chewton – a main entry to Castlemaine – over recent weeks.
“Where is the pride in our country?” asked the annoyed local.
Together with his young granddaughter, Mr Hadfield spent a large chunk of last week picking up the discarded rubbish from a one-kilometre stretch of the Pyrenees Highway, near the Chewton Archery Club, starting from the front of his own property.
“What makes it more shameful is that it is only 12 months since I cleaned up the same stretch of road reserve,” he said.
“On that occasion 113 drink cans and bottles alone were collected, and there must be at least 100 items that could all be recycled that I’ve picked up this time.
“Where are people’s consciences? On a recent trip to Japan there was not one piece of litter anywhere in either the city or the country areas.
“What must these people think when they witness this behaviour,” asked the unimpressed landholder who regularly hosts national and international visitors who visit his property, to see his impressive collection of vehicles including drag cars, hot rods, classics and muscle cars.
Having unsightly litter strewn along the roadside reserves is not exactly a good look, the long-time local says.
“How are our young people going to learn recycling?”
Mr Hadfield’s complaints come as Victoria prepares to introduce its new container deposit legislation from next year.
In 2021, the state’s CDS legislation was drafted and has since become an Act with a 10-cent refund to be given for every eligible drink container including cans, cartons and bottles, when they are returned to a refund collection point.
Under the state’s new scheme, the returned containers will be recycled and remanufactured into new products, reducing litter and the need for new materials.
Charities and not-for-profit organisations – like local scout or guide groups – stand to gain by collecting containers for refunds, running container collection drives or receiving donations with people will be able to donate their refunds.
For Mr Hadfield, the practical enactment of the CDS legislation cannot come soon enough.
