Di McCristal said she enjoys going to the park and taking her grandchildren to play at the location. However she was disappointed in the behaviour she witnessed by parents and children at the party. 

Di said she found balloons near the foreshore and the remnants of party poppers next to the bin. 

"We were shocked at the behaviour of the mothers who were throwing the items at each other and then leaving them on the ground," she said. 

Di loves animals, especially dolphins, which she has swam with at Coffs Harbour and also in the wild at Monkey Mia, Western Australia. 

"They are such lovely animals and people should realise balloons and other items can cause the animals to choke and impact their digestive track," she said. 

"They die a very slow and painful death." 

Di said it's time people started to think about the consequences of their actions. 

In 2018 Port Macquarie-Hastings Council was awarded a $77,000 marine litter grant from the NSW EPA, to target fishing litter.

"Not only does litter pose a major threat to the local environment and wildlife, it also costs ratepayers a lot of money," it is reported on council's website. 

"There are significant clean-up costs and it can have a negative impact on local businesses and the tourism industry.

"Litter impacts us all and can prevent us from enjoying our local community spaces such as parks, beaches, rivers and the town centre."

For more information people can visit the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council at www.pmhc.nsw.gov.au/Services/Waste/Litter