Beach vacuum operation rescheduled for next week

Published on 27 May 2022

Council will deploy an industrial vacuum to two areas of Noosa’s eastern beaches next week as part of the effort to remove polystyrene waste from the pontoons that washed ashore during the floods earlier this year.

“We’d hoped to deploy the vacuum earlier this month but the ongoing heavy rain hampered our plans,” Council’s Acting Environment Services Manager Shaun Walsh said.

Mounted on a four-wheel-drive vehicle, the vacuum is equipped with a screen to filter polystyrene particles from the sand so the sand can be returned to the beach, free of the polystyrene material.

“Tides and the current weather forecast look favourable for Tuesday and Wednesday next week – May 31 and June 1 – so we plan to have the vacuum on site at the two worst-affected areas,” Mr Walsh said.

The vacuum will be in operation from 9am on Tuesday, May 31, in the vicinity of Beach Access 40 at Castaways Beach.

“As per our original plan we’ll be concentrating on the dunes behind the beach where the wind has swept a lot of the smaller polystyrene particles. 

“We intend to tackle Peregian Beach, near the surf club, from around 9am on Wednesday, June 1,” Mr Walsh said.

“With no purpose-built technology for tackling this issue – the removal of polystyrene pollution from beaches – there are a lot of stakeholders watching how this operation goes.

“As before, the vacuum operation will be weather-dependent.”

Council crews will follow behind the vacuum crew collecting remaining particles by hand.

“We thank the community for their tremendous efforts supporting the clean-up by hand in recent weeks. It’s been a huge help in tackling this problem so far.

“Bags are still available at the busier beach access points for anyone who’d like to help the clean-up by filling a bag and returning it to the access point when done.”