Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) will return to the region next week collecting expired flares.
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During the last collection earlier this year more than 16,000 expired flares were collected from Tweed Heads in the north, down to Eden on the South Coast.
The program offers convenient and free disposal of marine flares that have reached expiry and serves as a reminder to boat owners that flares disposed of incorrectly can be hazardous.
For Mid Coast boaties, mobile collection points in this round will be available at the Crowdy Head boat ramp from 11am -1pm next Monday, November 23 followed by the Forster boat ramp that afternoon from 2.30-4.30pm.
Marine flares are used in boating emergencies as a signal for help, and to assist with establishing a vessel's location.
They can cause fire and damage to property, and they're hazardous for the environment if they end up in our landfills.
- Amy Hill
Most flares have a use-by date of three years from manufacture, and penalties apply where flares are not replaced within their expiry period. It is also an offence to set off flares except in the case of an emergency.
"Many people think flares can be placed into their general garbage collection, but flares are highly flammable and can be dangerous to the collectors," MidCoast Council waste program co-ordinator, Amy Hill said.
"They can cause fire and damage to property, and they're hazardous for the environment if they end up in our landfills."
Boat owners are encouraged to regularly inspect their on-board flares, check the expiry dates, and take advantage of the RMS mobile collection program in November.
For more information, and to view collection locations in other coastal locations, visit the Transport for NSW Expired marine flare disposal page HERE.
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