Each year the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee receives multiple reports of illegal activities, with staff regularly discovering evidence of poor behaviour on the coast, particularly during peak season. This summer has been no different with a recent spate of illegal behaviour on coastal reserves along the Surf Coast.
Multiple coastal sites in Torquay, Lorne, and Anglesea have been impacted by people lighting fires, littering and destroying vegetation. Party sites are particularly destructive to native vegetation, as trees are cut for firewood and rubbish is often left behind, not to mention the damage made to the stability of fragile dune systems.
Litter and rubbish pollution continue to cause major problems on coastal reserves, hampering group efforts to protect the natural environment on the Surf Coast.
GORCC Conservation Supervisor Evan Francis said that whilst people may be having fun, the negative impacts on native flora and fauna is adversely affecting the coastal environment.
“It is disappointing for us to find our coastal reserves trashed, as it undoes not only the work we’re doing but the thousands of hours dedicated local conservation volunteers put into these areas.”
Rubbish in the form of tents, couches, chairs, mattresses, hammocks, barbeques, empty bottles and cans are just some of the items that have been found in impacted areas.
“We would much rather invest our time and money into improving the coast with our conservation and education programs than clean up illegally dumped rubbish.”
Whilst Great Ocean Road Coast has a dedicated team of foreshore rangers, we need the local community to be our eyes and ears. The actions of a few are impacting both the environment and the community’s ability to enjoy the coast, and we need your help in protecting the foreshore.
Each week the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee invests significant resources into cleaning up rubbish on the foreshore and incorporating litter collection into their education programs.
Great Ocean Road Coast is a not-for-profit organisation that manages 37km of Crown land reserves between Torquay and Lorne. All dollars raised through commercial operations is reinvested back into the coastal reserves, caravan parks, and community.
If you’ve seen or heard anything in relation to this or any other damage along our coastline please get in touch with us at Great Ocean Coast on 03 5220 5055 or info@gorcc.com.au
Great Ocean Road Coast Committee Blog 