By KATRINA BRANDON
COOPERS Creek locals have been left disgusted after campers left a trail of destruction.
Photos emerged online in the days following the new year of campfires being lit on a Total Fire Ban day, rubbish, including nappies, discarded, and people even washing cars in the creek.
Unfortunately, this was as all-too-familiar sight for the old gold mining town, but now, the final straw may well have been broken.
Wanting to revive the local gem, volunteers travelled to Coopers Creek on January 12 to clean up what they could.
Gippsland Adventure Tours’ Kelly Van Den Berg and Paddy Mc Howlett helped organise the clean-up in the river, and the Lions Club of Erica helped on land.
One local (who wished to remain anonymous) said the community’s frustration has grown throughout the years.
“It’s the worst it has been. All the locals are enraged that they have come out to camp out in our bush, and they have just littered it and treated it like it doesn’t matter to anyone when it matters a lot to everyone. It’s our bush, our land,” they said.
“On the public holiday weekends it is packed. We get hundreds upon hundreds of people here. They camp on every square inch of the place. About four individuals have pulled out about a trailer-load of rubbish a day; I think someone did two. Just massive.”
On Sunday, January 12, the Express visited the site to see what was happening.
Upon arrival, visitors were camped out in the no-camping zone, washing dishes in the river and leaving rubbish in surrounding areas.
After local police turned up to ask the visitors to vacate the no-camping area, they stayed put.
Looking further down the river, the Express found that campsite visitors had also ventured onto the neighbouring property, where they had broken the gate to access the water and created their own site. A nearby shed also had tarps, paddles and other rubbish left inside by campers.
After the clean-up, the volunteers shared that they had collected chairs, clothing (mainly socks), plastics and water toys.
According to an anonymous source, campers leave a regular mess, and DEECA (Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action) workers collected up to four trailer loads of rubbish during busy periods at the campsite.
“I worked for DEECA about four years ago as a crew member assigned to clean up the Coopers Creek Campsite. I feel I need to speak up about this, as it has been an issue for years that has never been fixed or spoken about until now. We were mostly sent to cover it up,” the person said.
“We witnessed cars parked in the creek leaking God knows what and even washing their cars right into the creek. Those in charge never did a thing about it. It’s gone under the radar because it was largely one specific community from Melbourne. It was never discussed, and I’m not surprised it’s still going on. I can’t say what community specifically. None of us could, as it fell under diversity policy.”
In response to the issue, a DEECA representative told the Express: “We understand concerns raised by residents regarding recent incidents at Coopers Creek, including littering and disrespectful behaviour from some visitors and that these behaviours can impact the enjoyment and safety of the site for others”.
“We urge all visitors to Coopers Creek and similar recreational sites to respect the environment and the shared facilities.
“It is vital that all users take responsibility for their actions and leave the site as they found it, ensuring they take their rubbish home. This includes not only general waste but also items like food wrappers and used nappies.”
Currently, some of the local DEECA workers are on strike for a liveable wage. Many of them work on a seasonal basis.
Another anonymous source said: “Not only do these staff fight fires, but they are boots on the ground looking after the forest. When not fighting fires, AWU (Australian Workers Union) staff maintain campgrounds, walking tracks, and the forest road network”.
“This (people leaving campsites in a mess) has become particularly noticeable at major campgrounds of Coopers Creek and Bruntons Bridge, as visitor numbers peaked over the summer holidays and the sites were left in devastation. While AWU staff have no right to fine individuals for their actions at these recreation sites, they play a major role in rubbish removal and camper education, and the lack of staff has shown its impact.
“AWU staff are incredibly passionate about the environment and local community, and it hurts them just as much as the rest of us to see these campgrounds in the state they are in. However, drastic actions must be taken to ensure these firefighters can make a liveable wage.”
Member for Eastern Victoria and Shadow Minister for Public Land Management, Melina Bath weighed into discussion, saying the onus was on campers to do the right thing.
“The state government must continue to allow traditional recreational activities such as camping in our state forests, and campers must play their role in leaving nothing but footprints behind when they depart,” she said.
“Overwhelmingly, visitors do the ‘right thing’, but it is highly disappointing that negligent campers left Coopers Creek campground in a disgraceful state and highly commendable that locals volunteered to remove rubbish left behind.
“Successive budget cuts to DEECA and the loss of enforcement officers embolden the reckless and selfish behaviour of a minority of visitors, which degrades our environment.
“Clearly, insufficient active patrols are being conducted to police recalcitrant behaviour and issue penalties. I am heartened by the incredible efforts of local volunteers who have taken it upon themselves to clean up Coopers Creek.
“I sincerely thank and congratulate them on their selfless acts. These bush users are passionate about preserving the health of our public land, and I wish the state government would be so.”
