The arrival of more and more dump points at towns across the country has been warmly welcomed by grey nomads and other travellers … but providing the facility is only half the battle. As this stomach-churning image shows, having a dump point that is not properly maintained can be worse than having no dump point at all.
The image shows the dump point at Apex Park in Allora, 20 kilometres north of Warwick, overflowing with human waste soon after the Heritage Weekend event late last month.
Doug Partington, who took the picture, told the Warwick Daily News that the facility stayed in this condition for several days.
“Disgusting doesn’t seem loud enough,” he said. “The Southern Downs Regional Council needs to be embarrassed by this!”
The council’s Community Facilities manager Michael Bell told the newspaper that the dump point was becoming more of an issue with more travellers using the site, and he said the system was not large enough to cope.
“Council can either provide a larger tank, which will require both capital budget allocation and ongoing operation cost or we close the system,” he said. “The risk of closing the system is that travellers may just discharge the waste directly down the toilet, which is what previously occurred.”
One might ask WHY to people keep tipping sewerage into a facility that is obviously full or blocked?
What else are people to do with their waste? The townships want the money (as little or as much as may be spent) brought by nomads and others but not prepared to give the service required to support that income? The Councils should just suck it up and give the adequate service which is required to service the needs, no matter how many times they need to do it, just means more tourists, more income.
There is a dump point 20 klms away in Warwick. ..why would people even contemplate using one that is overflowing? The Allora point is only septic…
I agree, who would place waste on any sort in a full facility,is beyond belief. Step up Nomads and do the right thing. If it is full dont put more in. (treat it like your mouth. Full, dont add more. or you choke.)
Hi,
Nothing has changed at Allora. I have reported this twice in past two months to the Southern Downs council, and Visitor Information Centre. Council they cannot put a hose on the tap because it is illegal. The water tap is off to side and does not assist to clean the dump point.. We are checking this with Qld Government and RACQ. Council have a sign that says use the hose????
The SDRC is the council that wanted to charge people to stay at this facility. The council is in debt up to its neck and will be lucky to survive the next election. To me this looks like a way they can make the park unattractive and then claim they need to charge so they can update facilities. It’s just a disgrace and one of many reasons why Southern Downs is one of the most caravan and RV UNfriendly places in Australia.
The people of Allora however welcome travellers unlike their council.
So you think the local ratepayers should pay for the facilities so visitors can use (or misuse) them.
NO !! however if an area has things to offer, the RV’s in the town or surrounding area’s, then a small outlay such as a Dump Point, could be a wise investment, !! to attract Vanners and RV’s to the area, where the will then spend money with a wide and varied lot of businesses in the township, Lots of towns have taken the opportunity, and it has been very welcome to lots of businesses and ratepayers, However each town is different, if one has nothing to offer, or is RV Un-Friendly, and as such does not need the RV $$$ !! that’s fine !! do nothing, and recieve nothing, we can keep our wheels turning, to more accepting places
Ratepayers paying for tourists happens in every town and city in Australia therefore when travelling one expects reciprocal rights. If you believe the economists the money spent to attract tourists is a great investment. Take the Victorian Grand Prix both car and motorcycle costing taxpayers and ratepayers especially Phillip Island vast amounts of subsidies. We are told that the 80mill? subsidy is warranted by the multiplied effect on the economy turning over many times the subsidy. All of us go on holidays and use other towns facilities without further cost. SDRC will have to make up their minds as to whether the benefit out ways the cost. Tourists will make up their own minds about SDRC.
Wondering if council should consider installation of a second dump point with larger capacity, and then taking time to clear and enlarge this obviously inadequate unit. Secondly, I cannot understand why council did not arrange for more frequent “pump outs??
Personally, I’d have zero problem with a small “donation” for the use of a dump point at council sites …. let’s face it, private/corporate parks already charge users.
We arrived at this dump point the day before the Heritage Weekend and the dump point was disgusting then. So we phoned the Council and they didn’t have a clue what we were talking about or where it was! So work that out……
Had the same thing happen to us while we were at Kakadu in may 2013. left the caravan park there to start the trip back home. whent to empty our own black water and the the hole place was in a real mess !!!
The dump point was also over flowing. Ended up that the removeable grate was blocked and full of toilet paper. Removing the screen and with a lot of water it finaly cleared. A lot of the problem was a couple of female pads and a pair of incontance pants ??? . emptyed our own gray water container replaced the grate , cleaned my self up ( washed hands etc and left the hole place a lot better than when we arrived.
On a nother note we were told that the caravan park that was on the other side of the road would not allow it clientell empty there own black water and to use the facility across the road!!!! Maybe the park is on it’s own septic system??
Stephen , can you please tell me where the grate is , as we are having issues with the dump point . Thanks Juli
Sady a minority will abuse these facilities, we watched a man at our park walk over to our dump point and proceed to place a cardboard box in it, we could only assume he was suffering from alzheimers. We spent a lot of money putting a dump point in our park, and try to ensure it is not abused.