Bring back the bins
A group of concerned riverside residents in Barooga are fed up with campers dumping rubbish along the picturesque banks following a decision to remove bins from state forests a few years ago.
At the time, the 2014 decision by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to remove the bins prompted concerns that littering and dumping would increase.
Many of the residents’ properties back on to the state forest area by the Murray River west of Barooga, which is very popular with campers, especially during the peak Christmas season.
Resident John Mitchell said about 90 to 95 per cent of campers did the right thing, but there were some who chose to leave all their rubbish at their campsites.
When the Courier visited on Monday afternoon, there were two areas with rubbish left behind — one with several bags of rubbish tied up and left by a log, and another with camping debris including paper plates, bottles, cans, bags and general waste strewn across a large area.
Locals have taken up the task of clearing the rubbish, as they say the park area isn’t monitored as often as it used to be.
Usually they pick up the equivalent of one bag of rubbish a year, but Mr Mitchell said since the bins had gone, the amount of rubbish they collected was increasing.
He said residents would like to see the bins brought back, or else signage in the area directing people to the nearest bin point.
While many campers were regulars who knew the bins were gone, not many were aware of where they could leave rubbish, he said.
Barooga Advancement Group has been lobbying for the return of the bins and in mid-2015 a trial was announced for a recycling station only for peak tourist times.