Community
18 February, 2025
Lake Moondarra given a much-needed community clean-up
Dedicated local residents took to the water and banks last week to remove rubbish from the beloved lake.
Mount Isa once again proved that its community spirit is alive and well after about 50 volunteers braved the heat and humidity to remove more than two tonnes of rubbish from the Lake Moondarra waterways.
More than 10 boats circled the city’s water source on Saturday morning, armed with nets to scoop from the lake.
The boats were also used to drop off volunteers by the shoreline to search for debris and rubbish that had washed down the creeks during the recent rainfall, or been left behind by careless campers.
Among the larger items discovered were an old table, timber pallets, empty oil drums, tyres with rims and a three-metre stretch of thick PVC pressure pipe that was bobbing dangerously in the middle of the lake.
The rubbish collectors also reported plenty of wine cask bladders, water bottles, dozens of crocs and thongs, fishing lures, boxing gloves and rubber bouncy balls scattered in and around the water.
However, the most remarkable feat of the morning was the short notice everyone was working on.
The idea was first hatched when Sunrise Fabrication Services owner Darryl Avery went out fishing one morning and saw the urgent need to give Lake Moondarra a decent clean out.
“I am one of those mad blokes that likes to get up before the sun does to go out fishing in the morning,” he explained to North West Weekly.
“I was talking to Jay (Morris) about how much stuff was in and around the water and we decided to go out and do something about it.
“We thought it would just be us going out but pretty soon others were saying they would be willing to help out and so the idea just grew.
“Then we had other businesses chip in – Sunset Butchery donated some sausages, Brumbies and Bax Plumbing donated some bread, Woolworths gave us some water and fruit, the Irish Club donated some beer and Wanderers juniors volunteered to cook the barbecue.
“Having something to eat and a beer after that clean-up was all the thanks we needed.
“Everyone was standing around enjoying a feed and talking about all the stuff they’d found that day.
“To put something like that all together with only a four-day turnaround, we couldn’t have asked for much more.
“It was really great just to see some community spirit in action.”
Darryl hoped there would be similar clean-ups in the future.
“I think we will give it some time, but we were talking about going out again to take a look at the creeks and I think we could do something to coincide with the fishing comp,” he said.
