As the number of domestic tourists continues to grow, so too does the litter problem they generally bring with them.
In places like South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula and on Kanagaroo Island, there have been reports of people leaving huge amounts of rubbish and defecating in inappropriate locations … and there are now mounting calls for urgent action.
Kangaroo Island Mayor Michael Pengilly told the Adelaide Advertiser that bins at campsites in Emu and Vivonne bays had been left overflowing as travellers descended on the region over the holiday period. People were reportedly also using the bushes at Emu Bay as a toilet because they could not be bothered walking from their campsites to the nearby bathrooms.
“The problem is we have all these people come, which is very welcome,” Mr Pengilly said. “We just can’t get rid of the waste.”
Mr Pengilly called upon the State Government to install bins at its national parks to address rubbish issues.
In the Eyre Peninsula, authorities are reacting to the growing littering crisis by potentially upgrading up to 16 campsites.
Lower Eyre Peninsula Council chief executive Rod Pearson told the Advertiser that an upgrade of Farm Beach campsite and a new one planned at Fishery Bay were earmarked as part of a bid to upgrade camping options all over the peninsula. The council is also considering building another site at Coles Point and putting in more bins and toilets.
However, he said no amount of bins could have coped with the amount of waste left behind by an ‘unprecedented” number of visitors in recent weeks.
“With less interstate travel there are more people on the roads and it all came to a head over the New Year with more people in those vulnerable spots that are quite isolated and don’t have facilities for dealing with those volumes of people,” Mr Pearson told the Advertiser. “Our message is that people that are going to isolated places need to plan to take their rubbish home.”
Coorong Mayor Paul Simmons said about 15 bags of rubbish were left at Salt Creek over the New Year’s period.
His council was keen to discuss with the State Government the need for more facilities for people travelling around the Coorong, suggesting a rest stop with toilets and bins at Salt Creek.
“People are going wherever they can – they just pull over,” he said. “It’s 145 kilometres from Kingston to Meningie and some people can’t last that long … the question then becomes should someone provide toilets and who?”
It’s time to Clean Camp Australia.
I’ve heard that 80% of campers and caravanners do the right thing.
They honour the golden rule of what goes into a camp site … comes out.
Quite simple really!
The other 20% will be the first to complain when campsites close.
They love getting back to nature, but don’t realise that they are destroying nature.
They don’t respect the backyard that we share, and ruin it for the rest of us.
They leave rubbish and soil the environment with human waste … they don’t care.
We’ve seen plastic shopping bags full of excrement, and nappies thrown into the bush.
Australia has been devastated by fire, drought and now Covid, so resources are under strain.
This ‘20%’ probably complain that facilities are lacking, but want ‘free’ camping.
They think it is the duty of council or government to provide more bins and rubbish pickup.
They throw the blame onto others, as they throw their own rubbish all over the place.
Come on, it’s not that hard!
Take in extra rubbish bags, then take them out … FULL.
We have a canvas bag attached to our back wheel, not expensive, not hard.
Camp near a toilet, take a toilet and … if … you really have to dig a hole, do it well away from camp, make it deep and off walking trails, leave no trace that you have been there.
If this is how you like to live at home … stay there.
It’s time for this ‘20%’ to take responsibility for their own actions.
It’s time for them to realise that it’s not acceptable, and maybe camping isn’t for them.
C’mon folks, clean up your act, and Clean Camp Australia!
Stop people from camping in undisignated areas and areas that are enviromentally fragile. Councils dont care and need to do more to stop this happening. And Lower Eyre Council want more camping on the Lower EP no way
Most councils etc do a wonderful job in keeping these places clean and tidy. We, as visitors, must act more responsibly and do our part to help. Why are some of us so lazy? Do you do this in snd around your own home? Surely it is not too hard to take it with you snd find a bin that is not overflowing. Yes, there are some areas that need an extra bin or more rest stops, but this will come at a cost to all, and will it stop this blatant disregard for all? Unfortunately, I can see the time when there will be no more ‘free camping’ as the cost to the environment is just too high! Is it feasible fir CTV camera to be installed at sites, and large fines or confiscation of equipment implemented? Thank you to those who clean snd look after these sites for visitors/campers
Having travelled tourist roads in Europe and Canada, there is definitely a need for more rest stops.
Toilet facilities are the bare minimum.
Water taps and grey water empty stations were every 80 to 100 km on main highways
Totally agree. Councils want people to come and spend money in their local areas, but don’t want to provide the necessary facilities. Perhaps they would just like us to send money and stay away.
Take all your rubbish away with you! We do…..as Andrew Kennedy stated above, what goes in goes out full stop! We have travelled around our wonderful country many times, and have seen it all, yes seen excrement and rubbish thrown around the rest stop with no care factor….but how to stop these vandals that ruin it for everyone?
On a recent camping trip to a camping location in Southern Tasmania we witnessed a person regularly placing house hold rubbish in the council provided bins located inside of the camping area. This then makes it difficult for campers to do the right thing.
We found after camping for 2 weeks at a time between shops in the wilds of Western Australia it’s quite easy to take the rubbish back to town and dispose of it properly. It weighs much less and takes up less room than when you purchased it. Sometimes when we do a big shop and have the van with us. We unpackage as much stuff as possible and dispose of the rubbish before we leave town. Takes a bit of time and a bit of thought. But the environment will benefit from it. I I say if you can travel and not leave a mess behind you stay home.
Yes more rest stop would be nice, especially outback.
But as for the mess at free camps, it’s not rocket science, I have no
on-board loo SO I ONLY STOP AT PLACES WITH A LOO.
What ever happened to, ‘take only photos leave only footprints’, it’s not that hard. But I’m afraid the people who leave their crap behind are probably the same people who put dirty nappies in recycling bins which sends the whole neighbourhoods recycling to landfill because of contamination.
At one time, the State Park’s used to supply skips which sometimes did the job, but, still, they were usually over flowing. Also they had pit toilet’s, and they did away with them.
I think that the major cause of this problem is that we live in a throw-away society. All take away foods are provided in plastic or cardboard containers, alcohol and soft drinks come in bottles or cans, frozen foods are prepackaged and even a lot of fruit and vegetables are prepackaged. So the irresponsible simply throw them away after consumption.
Perhaps a solution could be to revert to basics like we used to have in the ‘good ol’ days’. Banning plastic bags was a good start, so how about we extend that to bringing your own containers to get refilled. If you want to buy take away food, bring a pannikin or a lunch box. Use your own cotton/hessian bag for your fruit and veggies. Wrap the meat in butchers paper rather than plastic.
This may seem like an inconvenience to those who have never had to ‘bring your own’ but it would catch on in time, just like bringing your own re-usable shopping bags did. And if people still insist on rubbishing the country, introduce severe penalties … it works in Singapore!
It is simple, if there are no toilets or rubbish bins dig a hole away from your camp and fill in after you have used it or deposited your rubbish. It is not rocket science!!!