Four Wheel Drive Queensland (4WD QLD) is the peak body representing 4WD affiliated clubs and their members.

We advocate and aim to improve recreational four-wheel driving, protection of the environment, encourage education and knowledge sharing whilst creating fun and active outdoor communities across Queensland.

The Four Wheel Drive Queensland K’gari Clean Up is an annual event that takes place over a weekend, where members of 4WD QLD affiliated clubs and event sponsors generously offer their time to participate to remove marine debris and other waste from the World Heritage-listed paradise, stunning K’gari.

4WD QLD in collaboration with Queensland Department of Environment and Science (DES), Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service (QPWS), Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation (BAC) and Tangaroa Blue promote responsible use of the environment and support the event to keep our public land in pristine condition not only for today but also for future generations to come.

The K’gari Clean Up has been successfully running since 2001. The 2024 event is fast approaching and will be held on the 17-20th May. This annual event draws a remarkable turnout of volunteers from over 20 different Queensland four wheel drive clubs. Together volunteers actively engage in the critical task of eradicating noxious weeds from QPWS identified high-risk areas and clearing away substantial amounts of debris from Hook Point on the lower end of the Island to the furthest point, Sandy Cape.

Since 2018, the K’gari Clean Up has been recording comprehensive marine waste data which is diligently collected and documented in the Australian Marine Debris Initiative Database (AMDI) which is managed by Tangaroa Blue. If we only just clean up the beach that is all we will ever do!

During the K’gari Clean Up all debris collected is weighed with a portion of the debris collected across the Island sorted into 144 different waste categories to identify and stop the waste at the source. This data is used by scientists, all levels of government, environmental agencies, communities and organisations for both research and educational purposes.

Over the past 23 years the event has collected and removed over 150 tonnes of debris. In 2023, the event saw 640 volunteers from 20 Four Wheel Drive Queensland affiliated clubs attend the event with a staggering 6,309.6kg of waste removed from the Island.

The event receives no government or grant funding and relies solely on businesses supporting the incredible work that we do to ensure the event’s success and continuation in the future. This year to assist with the rising event costs we are running an online raffle to raise much needed funds. Raffle tickets are $5 each and can be purchased at https://rafflelink.com.au/fraserislandcleanup4.

K’gari Clean Up registrations are now open to attend this year’s event, if you are interested in attending reach out to your local 4WD QLD affiliated club and register today, we look forward to seeing you there. For more information on the event feel free to check out our website and follow our social media platforms https://linktr.ee/kgaricleanup.

Article contributed by Charlene Brown, 4WD QLD K’gari Clean Up Coordinator