A BENDIGO man has been fined more than $1900 for dumping a load of butcher shop waste in the Bendigo Regional Park.
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A trail bike rider reported seeing a man dumping bones, fat and off-cuts of meat in the park at Lockwood.
The Environment Protection Authority and Parks Victoria launched an investigation after receiving the report.
Depositing industrial waste on Crown Land is a contravention of the Environmental Protection Act.
The authority also issued the offending man with a clean-up notice, requiring him to remove the waste.
North-west regional manager Scott Pigdon said the authority and Parks Victoria would not tolerate deposits of illegal waste in regional parks or bushland.
Dr Pigdon said the dumped material was industrial waste and a hazard to the environment.
"Rotting or decomposing raw meat products can produce quite offensive odours and become heavily contaminated and infectious, with possible detrimental consequences for wildlife in the park," he said.
"EPA officers and Parks Victoria Rangers started with the eyewitness report and worked together to successfully identify and locate the offender."
Dr Pigdon said accurate information from a member of the public had been key to the success of the investigation.
He urged people to report illegal dumping, and other pollution, and to make note of any details they could.
Parks Victoria ranger team leader Matthew Sobey said it was pleasing to see the community act to protect the parks around Bendigo.
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