Below is a link to a article written in 2003 about Sydney's sewrage system and that it is crumbling leading to pollution and rubbish in the harbour after rains and storms.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/04/1059849343872.html

Below this entry is also a report from the N.S.W Governmaent Department of Environment and Climate Change talking about the heavy pollution from storm water drains leading into the harbour. And people thrOwing their cigarettes into the harbour and how this is a big problem.

However where I am just focusing on Redleaf the government is focusing on the whole harbour.

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/stormwater/casestudies/cleanharbour.htm

The Department of Environment and Conservation recommends that you avoid swimming during and at least three days after heavy rain at Harbour swimming areas due to the possibility of pollution from stormwater drains. Harbourwatch Information line 1800 036 677, or EPA Pollution Line 131 555. This is a qoute from the woollahra council websites for which there is a link below. It shows that the council knows that there is always the chance of pollution and rubbish after storms and rain. The way to fix this problem is to set up nets at the bottom of the stormwater drains so that they pick up the rubbish but not the water going into the harbour. Then after any storms or rain someone can come down from the council and collect it to dispose of it properly. I am still getting informed about my challeng but i am going to start taking action sometime soon. I am also putting some pictures down the bottom of this blog entry.

http://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/services/parks/parks_and_playgrounds_by_alphabet/redleaf_pool

This is the sort of cover that i am talking about, however it will be kept clean and usable[not broken] and the cover will be detachable so that someone can collect the rubbish.

For my Make a difference Challenge I am thinking of doing the problem of rubbish in Redleaf beach after storms and rain instad of lobbying for a cycling track at Christison Park. I am going to do this becauseRedleaf is a freindly and fun place to spend the afternoon but after storms and rain it is full of rubbish and pollution because of the stormwater drains.

Doing this as my Make a difference challenge is a better idea, because by cleaning up Redleaf I will actually be making a difference, whereas lobbying to the council to build a cycling track does not really help anyone in the slightest apart from letting them ride a bike in the park.

I still need to get informed about this problem but as far as I know there is no plan underway to get rid of the rubish in Redleaf. My plan to clean it up is to set up catchers around the storm water drains leading into Redleaf and have a collector go down down once a week and coolectall the rubbish up. The council is only about a hundred metres away from Redleaf so this should be no hardship.

So far this is my new Make A Difference Challenge. Think Locally Act Globally.

For my make a difference challenge I am going to try and make the council add a cycling track in Christison Park for bikes skateboards and rollarskates. I am going to do this because Christison is on the cliff and has magnificent veiws and what better way to enjoy them thanon a bike. Also going on regular bike rides and and things like that keep you fit and having a bike track will encourage people to go for bike rides.

I am not entirely sure that this is a very good make a difference challenge because it doesn't actually help anyone. Having a local bike track would be fun but it wounldn't really make a differenc in any way that I can see. I will have to do some more research before i choose what to do.

Once I have chosen my challenge what I have to do is to get informed. this could include interviewing experts about the issue, reading books about it, doing a survey on what people think about it, watch any news that may be related to it or going and checking it out myself to see what can be done.

After I have gotten informed I have to take action, I can write to the local newspaper, organise a fundraser or talk to the council. Anything that will contribute to the issue and in the end fix the whole problem.

Our slogan is Think Locally Act Globally