ARARAT -Ararat residents are a bunch of litter bugs and the result is a town which could easily become an eyesore and a turn off to tourists - that was until a group of Marian College students decided to stand up and take a stand against littering.
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The four year nine students, Megan Hinchliffe, Ebony Summers, Courtley Lesueur and Amy Arnfield are current taking part in a school program called Stand Up, in which students are asked to choose a project to benefit the community and stand up for what they believe in.
During the program, the four students have set about collecting rubbish and cleaning up a number of areas in Ararat, most notably the areas around the Ararat Railway Station, Alexandra Gardens, Barkly Street and McDonalds Restaurant.
They have collected at least seven bags of rubbish from each area during their clean up efforts, with the railway station the girls' biggest project.
"We weren't expecting to find so much rubbish," Megan said.
"Some of the rubbish is incredibly old, it's obvious no-one has put in any effort to clean it up."
The girls hope to create a positive image around town.
"We also hope people will realise that it's important and it's better to put it in the bin," Megan said.