More than two trailer loads of rubbish has been cleared from the Banyula State Forest near Echuca.
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Nick Whatley from Forest Fire Management Victoria said staff from his department, Parks Victoria and the Campaspe Shire Council had cleaned up more than six cubic metres of rubbish.
“The culprits even went to considerable lengths to conceal the dumped rubbish under piles of leaves instead of disposing of it correctly at the nearest tip, the Campaspe Shire Waste Transfer Station, less than 10 kilometres away,” he said.
The items collected included domestic waste, recyclable materials and hard rubbish such as washing machines, shopping trollies and car seats.
“The rubbish was dumped following the ‘Clean up Australia’ day event a few weeks ago where hundreds of community members came out to clean up the forest,” he said.
“Unfortunately rubbish dumping is a common problem in our forests, parks and reserves.”
Campaspe Shire waste and environment coordinator Brian Holmes said that while this occasion the dumping was on Crown land, when illegal dumping occurred on council owned land, it created a drain on ratepayer funded resources and time.
"The time and resources required to investigate and clean up any illegal dumping, coupled with landfill disposal fees and possible legal fees, can see a single incident cost several hundred dollars,” Mr Holmes said.
Under the Environment Protection Act 1970 it is illegal to dump rubbish on public land and carries an on the spot fine of $311 or up to $6,218 if prosecuted in court.
Anyone with information about illegal rubbish dumping in state forests is asked to call DELWP at 136 186.