Locals and passers-by celebrated World Heritage Day’s Fight for the Reef campaign by signing a petition, creating bright signs and wearing stand-out clothing to show how much they cared.

Party organiser Julie Baldwin said rain, hail or shine, she wanted to do her part to send a positive message to federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt about the need to protect the Great Barrier Reef from industrialisation.

“I wanted to do more than sit at home and make a stand with the click of a button. Instead, I wanted to get out and help make a difference,” she said.

“All around Australia today [Saturday] there are large and small events happening. When I was given the opportunity to have my own party I thought I would try to involve the community.

“It puts that negative energy, that anger about what’s happening, it turns it around and makes it positive.”

Ms Baldwin said she spent two days handing out flyers, making signs and paper plate fish for the event.

“Really, this has just been me, a mother, and her two 20-year-old daughters making a point and it is quite easy,” she said.

“It feels quite empowering actually.

“To sit at home and go ‘Oh look what they’re doing’, to actually get out here and do something feels great and, hey, a few people actually cared enough to come. Isn’t that nice?”

The petition called Message in a Bottle will be combined with all the other petitions signed on World Heritage Day for the Fight for the Reef campaign.

“The Fight for the Reef organisation will be going to the World Heritage conference in Germany later this year and they will take the enthusiasm shown in our photos and other materials with them,” Ms Baldwin said.