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Illegal Rubbish Dumping In State Forests

Dumping of rubbish in our State forests is not only unsightly and dangerous, but illegal and carries heavy penalties.

By Department of Sustainability and Environment - 29th August 2007 - Back to News

Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) staff have recently noticed an increase in the amount of rubbish being illegally dumped in State forest areas in the region.

Regional Manager Forest Stewardship and Biodiversity, Grange Jephcott said a number of popular camping and picnic sites in Gippsland’s State forests have become rubbish dumping grounds.

"This sort of littering not only detracts from the beauty of our bush, but may also result in unhygienic conditions for other users of the forest and poses serious risks to native plants and animals," Mr Jephcott said.

"DSE and Parks Victoria manage some beautiful recreational sites which are popular with a wide range of users, most of whom respect the environment and do the right thing with their rubbish."

"It is very disappointing that some people are treating these areas as a rubbish tip, with no regard for the environment or for other people who enjoy and care for the forests."

DSE and Parks spend time, effort and money cleaning up dumped rubbish that should have been taken to the local tip.

These cleanup operations are sometimes made more difficult due to the disposal of hypodermic syringes and discarded chemicals posing a health risk to clean up crews.

"Cleaning up litter in State forest is an expensive task and one that would be unnecessary if rubbish were properly disposed of in the first instance," Mr Jephcott said.

This is a timely reminder that littering (including the dumping of garden clippings) in State forest and Parks is illegal and carries a heavy penalty that could exceed $6,000.

All household rubbish should be taken to council refuse stations and garden clippings can be composted. Garden waste can be the source of exotic weed infestations and animal remains may attract feral animals to the area. Introduced species of plants and animals can destroy our native populations.

DSE will be conducting regular patrols over the coming months in an attempt to eliminate rubbish being dumped in our forests. The local community can assist DSE with this matter by reporting any instances of illegal rubbish dumping to their nearest DSE or Parks Victoria Office.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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