Community & Business
18 March, 2026
New group to restore Atherton’s beauty
A COMMUNITY meeting that attracted over 60 disgruntled residents late last year has birthed a new group with the mission to re-beautify the Atherton CBD.
Atherton was named Queensland’s Tidiest Town in 2004, but in an article published in The Express this time last year, two Tablelands councillors had described the town as looking “a bit sad” and “disgraceful”.
Conversation regarding the town’s deterioration continued until a community meeting was held at Hallorans Hill in December, where the Atherton Enhancement Group (AEG) was born.
The group’s mission is to make Atherton a “cleaner, greener, and more inviting place for everyone”. It is also inviting members of the community to put their hand up to be one of the passionate locals helping to make a difference for their town.
“We want to enhance the town and make it pretty again,” group secretary Karen Veronese said.
Ms Veronese said priority projects for the AEG included tackling litter and graffiti, improving planter boxes along Main Street, and focusing on high visibility areas where improvements would have strong community impact.
“In the initial stages we will be focusing on Main Street, Mabel Street, and the creeks around the area – because there’s a lot of trollies and rubbish that gets dumped in the creeks close to town,” she said.
“We will be cleaning all the new rubbish bins that are in Mabel St and Main St, because they’re quite grungy now, and we’re going to be working on the planter boxes in Main St to make them look nice.
“As our volunteer base grows, we plan to establish dedicated project teams, including graffiti removal, gardens and beautification, litter collection, cemetery care, and adopt-a-park teams – creating opportunities for residents to contribute in ways that match their interests and skills.
“We look forward to engaging the wider community and gathering practical ideas that support ongoing improvement works, particularly initiatives that help reinforce Atherton’s reputation as a former Tidy Towns recipient.”
Ms Veronese said the group operates under the auspices of the Atherton Lions Club, which acts as its sponsor, and is independent of the Tablelands Regional Council.
“We’re independent of the council, but if there’s a particular area they want help with, they will come to us,” she said.
“We’re basically about cleaning up. The insurance that we’ve got covers us for cleaning and graffiti removal, so we can’t get involved in any major projects. It’s just gardening, cleaning up, and other little things we can work on.”
Those interested in becoming a member of the group can do so via volunteer registration forms, which are available at Atherton Library (16 Robert St) or Worklocker (108 Main St).
Locals are encouraged to follow ‘Atherton Enhancement Group’ on Facebook to stay up to date with upcoming projects and activities.
“Together, the group believes the community can turn this positive momentum into a lasting success story for Atherton,” Ms Veronese said.
The Atherton Enhancement Group has hit the ground running and already set a date for its first project, with a Main St working bee locked in for 12 April.
Volunteers will be cleaning rubbish bins and picking up litter from 8am-10pm. Those interested in attending can meet the group at the corner of Vernon and Main St that morning.
Additionally, the group is hosting a Clean Up Australia Day event on 24 May, focusing on the walking track and creek banks behind Woolworths. Residents can take part by registering via the Clean Up Australia website.
