CLEAN UP Australia Day efforts will head off-road on Sunday as a recreational four-wheel driving club sets its sights on illegally dumped waste across the Mount Gambier district.
The use of roadsides, scrub and pine plantations around the Limestone Coast as illegal dumping grounds has been a constant issue in the region, with Mount Gambier 4WD Club members using the national event to make a difference.
Club vice president Todd Kimber said members regularly see first-hand the amount of general waste dumped in pine plantations and bushland, expressing frustration at the issue.
“The first year we started doing this we only had two vehicles and one trailer but we ended up doing five trailer loads throughout the day,” Mr Kimber said.
“When we are four-wheel driving around the pines we are more than happy to take home some extra rubbish wherever we stop because we want to maintain the area and keep it looking beautiful.”
Mr Kimber said the club had also held clean up events along coastal tracks, noting these areas were difficult to maintain given the influx of waste washing ashore.
“We convey with key stakeholders each year on where we can and cannot go in order to ensure we do not trespass or go where we are not mean to,” he said.
“By allowing us to take part in this they are also gaining a benefit out of it by having rubbish they may not be able to get to cleaned up such as down narrow paths where their vehicles cannot fit.”
The club also discusses potential hot spots for illegal waste dumping to make sure the right areas are being cleared up.
“If we come across any burnt out cars, we keep note of the GPS of where the car is and report it back to the plantation organisation,” Mr Kimber said.
“This way they know exactly where it is and are able to save time on extracting it.”
Alongside burnt cars, the vice president said club members have come across a diverse range of waste, including used syringes.
“There has been everything from syringes, wound dressings, electronics, nappies all the way to furniture.
“It is always rubbish which someone is too lazy to take to the waste transfer station so they have just dumped it on the side of the tracks.”
Mr Kimber said illegal dumping ruined the natural environment and the enjoyment of the recreational activity.
“Having the rubbish there does take away from the beauty of the area and you do not know exactly what people have dumped or what could be leaking into the ground,” he said.
“It frustrates us because if they had of taken the effort to go all the way out into the pines then they could have just as easily gone and taken it to the dump.
“We just want to give that little bit back so we can make sure the tracks stay open for us all to enjoy.”
Mr Kimber called on Limestone Coast residents to do their part in keeping the region’s surrounds clean.
“We just want to community to be more responsible with their rubbish and use the effort that it takes to bring it to the pines and dump it to instead take it to the tip and not be lazy,” he said.
“We want to keep the area looking nice and safe for the workers.”
A number of Clean Up Australia Day events will be held this week and over the weekend, with a list available on the national organisation’s website.
