The weather played its part last Sunday, delivering a perfect autumn morning for Wangaratta residents to do their bit for Clean Up Australia Day.

Over 40 community members came along to help, drawn from conscientious members across the community, the 1st Yarrunga Wangaratta Scout Group, and the Rotary Club of Appin Park Wangaratta.

Organiser Nick Creek said it was nine-year-old Louis Manuel Roberts who set the tone for the day — gloves on and bag in hand, he was already picking up litter around the park while registrations were still underway.

Starting at 9am, the group worked their way through Apex Park, under the Ovens River bridge, and along the northern stretch of the Rail Trail past Officeworks — covering around 800 metres in total.

Nick said by the end of the morning, they had collected over 15 bags of rubbish, mostly food packaging and takeaway drink containers, much of it gathered from the riverbanks.

"The group was so efficient they'd cleared the entire area within an hour and a half, leaving plenty of time to enjoy a well-earned sausage in bread, courtesy of the Appin Park Rotary Club," he said.

"Wangaratta's northern entry from the Rail Trail is now looking much cleaner, a real testament to what a great group of volunteers can achieve when they come together.

"A huge thank you to everyone who participated in Clean Up Australia Day in any form, and to the Rural City of Wangaratta for assisting with waste disposal."

If you'd like to keep the momentum going, Wangaratta Landcare and Sustainability Inc have a Clean Up Wangaratta group (https://wlsi.org.au/clean-up-wangaratta/) and hold events throughout the year — or keep an eye out for next year's Clean Up Australia Day.

"Every bit of effort makes a difference to our beautiful backyard." Nick said.