A Small Idea, A Tangled Problem, and a Win for Avoca Beach

A few months ago, I was walking along the foreshore of the Hawkesbury River, not far from my home, when I spotted something that caught my attention. It was a bright blue bin attached to a pole, but this wasn't your ordinary rubbish bin.

It was specifically designed for fishermen to dispose of discarded fishing line, hooks and other fishing tackle. I thought it was such a simple but clever idea that I immediately started wondering why we didn't have something similar at some of the beaches and rock pools I visit regularly with my guests.

One of those places is Avoca Beach, where I take guests for walks around the beautiful rock pools and coastline. I've noticed plenty of discarded fishing line and tackle around these areas over the years, and I've always thought there must be a simple way to encourage people to dispose of it properly.

So I put the idea to a Avoca Community Facebook Group. I posted about these fishing line bins on social media and suggested that they would be a great addition to our local beaches, particularly around the areas where people fish and explore the rock pools.

The response from the local community was really positive, which was encouraging to see. People immediately understood why something so simple could make a real difference to the local environment and the wildlife that lives around our coastline.

Then, about three months later, something rather satisfying happened. I went down to Avoca Beach today and discovered that Tangle Bins had been installed right near the entrance to the beautiful rock pools.

Seeing those bins sitting there was a great feeling because this wasn't something I'd simply noticed and forgotten about. It was an idea that had started with a walk along the Hawkesbury River, made its way into a conversation with the local community, and eventually became something you could actually see at Avoca Beach.

Fishing line and hooks might seem like a small issue, but they can become a real hazard for wildlife when they're left behind. Having a dedicated place to dispose of them makes it much easier for anglers to do the right thing and helps keep these beautiful coastal areas safer and cleaner.

So, three months after spotting that blue bin beside the Hawkesbury River, I found myself standing at Avoca Beach looking at the same idea in action. It's a small win, but when you're passionate about the places you live in, work in and share with visitors, those small wins are worth celebrating.

And next time I take guests down to the Avoca rock pools, I'll be able to point out something else besides the wildlife, the ocean and the beautiful coastline. I'll be able to say, "See those blue bins? I had something to do with those."