Campsite litter is one of the things that most upsets grey nomads … but finding the solution to rubbish behaviour is not easy.
For local authorities, the cost of providing and emptying bins to help with the problem is not insignificant, especially in peak periods.
Nonetheless – when they look at the messy alternative – some local authorities decide it is still a price worth paying.
In partnership with Parks Victoria, the Campaspe Shire Council has just announced that its camper’s waste initiative will return for the Easter break.
Across the Christmas holiday period, eight ‘camper’s waste only’ skip bins were placed at Echuca East Boat Ramp, Torrumbarry Roadhouse, Gunbower Recreation Reserve, Victoria Park and O’Dwyer Road in Wharparilla.
Acting General Manager Community, Kate Lemon said the camper’s waste skips will return to these same locations.
“The recent distribution of skip bins was successful in keeping a whopping 60 tonnes of waste out of our waterways, roadsides, and bushland,” she said. “If this massive volume of waste is compared to our 140-litre wheelie bins, the waste collected during this period equates to filling 6,300 wheelie bins!”
Ms Lemon said the skips were emptied 27 times in total … with an approximate cost of $28,500 to the community!
From the start of the Easter week to the end of April, the skip bins will be provided for all campers taking a break over Easter.
Ms Lemon emphasised that the skips are not to be used for residential waste.
“By providing campers with a place to dispose of their rubbish, we are significantly reducing the chance of rubbish being dumped on our doorstep,” she said. “Not only does dumping have extensive impacts on our environment and our wildlife, but the cost to remove dumped waste is unsustainable.”
But it seems even this initiative doesn’t guarantee that some visitors won’t still create a mess.
“Just as you wouldn’t put glass bottles near kids running around in their bare feet, and you wouldn’t leave plastic bags floating down the river, it’s the same principle with the skip bins,” Ms Lemon said. “Rubbish placed next to the bin, not inside it, ends up scattered and becomes hazardous.”
While Echuca is responding to the litter crisis by providing more bins, elsewhere the thinking has been that actually getting rid of bins could be a more effective solution.
Mount cameras and you will be surprised at what you will see, yes we do have rubbish and yes there are nomads who don’t care
but most do. By the way don’t mount signs saying you are being watched
Problem with skip bins is that locals will just use them for their household and oversize rubbish to avoid the costs of going to the tip.
We have seen that happen and talked to the daumpers, who argue that they are paying for it via their rates.
Let us be sensible people !!!
This is most likely a NEW BIN !!! The (probably) overflowing bin was picked up & swapped.
Nobody would intentionally dump their rubbish like this in front of this EMPTY BIN !!!
Be critical of posts like this, they inspire hate and closures.
Ted
Thought exactly the same thing.
Based on your assumptions!!!
Exactly what i thought. I think this is manipulated.
The image appears to display mainly domestic household style rubbish potentially from local residents rather than Nomads.