PORT PHILLIP BAY BEACH LITTER SURVEY 2003–04 Publication 966 February 2005 A report for EPA Victoria Prepared by Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria PORT PHILLIP BAY BEACH LITTER SURVEY 2003–04 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Phillip Bay was 3346. This shows a decrease of 22 per cent when compared to the results from The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria 2002–03, which found 4267 litter items. commissioned Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria (KABV) to investigate the amount of litter on twelve Using this method, the three most littered beaches Port Phillip Bay beaches during the summer period in 2003–04 were: (December–March) of 2003–04. • Sandringham (562 litter items): this shows KABV is a not-for-profit community organization an increase of 100 per cent from the amount focusing on the promotion of anti-litter messages. of littered items found in 2002–03 Surveys are undertaken annually and will enable • Mordialloc (540 litter items): a decrease of EPA Victoria to track long-term patterns in litter at 29 per cent from 2002–03 these beaches while enabling the identification of • Port Melbourne (366 litter items): this litter sources and facilitating the targeting of litter- shows an increase of 45 per cent from reduction initiatives. 2002–03. Each municipality that surrounds Melbourne’s Port The three most littered products found in the visible Phillip Bay is represented by one or more locations surveys during 2003–04 were: as part of the EPA’s Beach Report program. The twelve selected beaches were: Williamstown, • cigarette butts (1786 litter items), Werribee South, Eastern (Geelong), Queenscliff, accounting for 53 per cent of all litter Sorrento, Rye, Mount Martha, Seaford, Mordialloc, counted in 2003–04. This result shows a Sandringham, St Kilda and Port Melbourne. These decrease in the number of items of 39 per beaches were selected because they were in high- cent from 2002–03 usage areas of Port Phillip Bay. • other plastic (222 litter items), accounting KABV surveys each beach using three types of survey for seven per cent of all litter counted in methodology: full-scale, visible and visual site rating. 2003–04. This shows a decrease in the number of items of 23 per cent from 2002– This report summarises the results from surveys 03 conducted over the 2003–04 summer and also compares these results with previous years. Key • plastic bottle/can tops (107 litter items), findings for the 2003–04 reporting period follow. accounting for three per cent of all litter counted in 2003–04. This shows a decrease Key findings for 2003–04 in the number of items of 15 per cent from Visible survey (litter counted but not removed in a 2002–03. 48 m2 area) Using this method, the litter survey conducted on 12 Using this method, the number of items of litter January 2004 recorded the most litter items found found in 2003–04 for all beaches surveyed in Port during the 2003–04 season. A total of 441 litter EPA Victoria PORT PHILLIP BAY BEACH LITTER SURVEY 2003–04 items were found on the 12 Port Phillip Bay beaches 04. This shows a decrease of 49 per cent during the fifth survey. The survey date was when compared with 2002–03 immediately following heavy rain. • Plastic bottle/can tops (143 litter items), The beach that showed the most improvement from accounting for four per cent of all litter the 2002–03 season was Williamstown, with an counted in 2003–04. This shows a decrease 89 per cent decrease in the amount of litter items of three per cent when compared with found in 2003–04. The purchase of new beach- 2002–03. cleaning machinery and an increase in the frequency Using this method, the highest amount of litter that and timing of cleaning has contributed to this result. was recorded in 2003–04 was in the tenth survey, Full-scale survey (litter counted and removed in a when 520 items of litter were found on Port Phillip 48 m2 area) Bay beaches. The survey was undertaken on 9 March 2004 and was following heavy rains and the Using this method, the number of items of litter Labour Day weekend. found in 2003–04 for all beaches surveyed in the Port Phillip Bay area was 3585. This shows an The beach that showed the most improvement in the increase of one per cent when compared to the 2003–04 season was Werribee South, with 85 per results of 2002–03, which found 3557 litter items. cent fewer items found when compared with 2002– 03. Using this method, the three most littered beaches in 2003–04 were: Visual ratings (Beach rated between 0 and 10 (0=no litter, 10=beach covered in litter)) • Sandringham (546 litter items): this shows an increase of 35 per cent from 2002–03 The worst site rating in 2003–04 was Sandringham beach, with an average rating of 2.6 per survey. This • Port Melbourne (457 litter items): an shows an 86 per cent increase when compared to increase of 86 per cent from 2002–03 2002–03, when the average site rating was 1.4. • Sorrento (426 litter items): this shows an The best site rating in 2003–04 was Werribee South increase of 38 per cent from 2002–03. beach, with a site rating of zero per survey. The The three most littered products found in the full- average site rating in 2002–03 was 0.85 per survey. scale surveys during 2003–04 were: • cigarette butts (1943 litter items), accounting for 54 per cent of all litter counted in 2003–04. This shows a decrease of three per cent from 2002–03 • other plastic (213 litter items), accounting for six per cent of all litter counted in 2003– Environment Report PORT PHILLIP BAY BEACH LITTER SURVEY 2003–04 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................................................................... 2 Key findings for 2003–04................................................................................................................................. 2 Visible survey .............................................................................................................................................. 2 Full-scale survey ...........................................................................................................................................3 Visual ratings................................................................................................................................................3 1. METHODOLOGY .........................................................................................................................................1 Quality assurance............................................................................................................................................ 2 2. SUMMARY OF RESULTS............................................................................................................................. 2 Visible survey results....................................................................................................................................... 2 Full-scale survey results....................................................................................................................................4 Visual site ratings.............................................................................................................................................5 3. PRODUCT TYPES ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Visible survey .................................................................................................................................................. 6 Full-scale survey ...............................................................................................................................................7 4. MATERIAL GROUPS ..................................................................................................................................10 Visible survey .................................................................................................................................................10 Full-scale survey .............................................................................................................................................10 5. OBSERVATIONS .......................................................................................................................................10 6. BEACH SUMMARY....................................................................................................................................12 Eastern beach.................................................................................................................................................12 Mordialloc beach............................................................................................................................................12 Mount Martha beach ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Port Melbourne beach .................................................................................................................................... 13 Queenscliff beach........................................................................................................................................... 14 Rye beach....................................................................................................................................................... 15 Sandringham beach ......................................................................................................................................