COMMUNITY campaigners say this pile rubbish dumped on the outskirts of Kangaroo Flat symbolises a growing problem they want solved.
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The group of bushland enthusiasts have noticed increasing piles of rubbish in local forests since the start of the pandemic.
They are increasingly frustrated, and not only by the people who left a mess for tax and ratepayers to pay for.
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Group member Colin O'Brien wants state government departments and the City of Greater Bendigo to do more to deal with what is being discarded.
"I went for a walk one day and in two hours I found eight areas, this place being one of them, where rubbish has been dumped," he said.
Fellow group member Sue van Gent said Bendigonians should be outraged by the scale of dumping.
"This is a beautiful facility we have and it's being trashed," she said.
The group of four has vowed to push government and council departments to do more to address illegal rubbish dumping.
"It's not up to us to solve the problem, but we want to see some greater coordination on this issue," Mr O'Brien said.
"We think we are going to have to hang around and nip at people's heels."
La Trobe University academic Jim Radford said the lines of demarcation between departments and councils were not the issue.
Those groups - plus the private landowners who might also have to deal with dumping - are clear about who is responsible for what and are doing what they can.
"I don't think you can, just by way of example, point the finger at the people in Parks Victoria's central Victorian offices and say they are not doing enough," he said.
Dr Radford said the wider problem was funding, which could itself be difficult to raise as governments focused, rightly, on recovery from COVID-19 and last summer's devastating bushfires.
The four campaigners said they were impressed by what some groups had done, particularly Parks Victoria.
"They've actually picked up a lot of the rubbish around here, even though it might not necessarily be their responsibility," Mr O'Brien said.
Dr Radford said dumpers could solve the problem overnight.
"[These] idiots need to show some responsibility and take their rubbish to the tip," he said.
Area chief ranger Karen Doyle said Parks Victoria had received an increase in reports of rubbish dumping in the Bendigo area this year.
She said it was an issue that diverted time and resources from Parks Victoria staff, putting visitors and the environment at risk.
"Parks Victoria works with volunteer groups and Corrections Victoria to monitor and clean-up sites of illegally dumped rubbish in Central Victoria. We will continue working collaboratively to reduce risks to the environment," Ms Doyle said.
"We remind the public that it is an offence to litter and dump rubbish of any kind in our parks and reserves. Parks Victoria investigates and regularly prosecutes offenders.
The City of Greater Bendigo did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
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