Members of the Central Coast rock climbing community joined forces with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to clean up Bouddi National Park.
The initiative, spearheaded by local recreational group Cragcare, saw the removal of discarded lounges that had been illegally dumped over a rock shelf in a remote area off Hawke Head Drive at Killcare.
Working in collaboration with NPWS staff, volunteers from Cragcare utilized ropes, pulleys, and sheer determination to haul the lounges up and over their rock shelf.
In total, about 180 kilograms of rubbish, including the lounges, were removed and transported to local landfill by NPWS.
It’s illegal to dump rubbish, household waste, green waste, construction waste, tyres, or vehicles in NSW national parks and reserves.
“We’re so grateful for the dedication shown by the nine volunteers from Cragcare who generously contributed their time and effort to this clean up,” NPWS ranger Vicki Elliot said.
“We’re looking forward to continuing our collaboration with Cragcare to target other instances of illegal dumping and undertake bush regeneration efforts in remote climbing sites within the park.”
Elliot said dumped rubbish was dangerous for wildlife, degrades the park and takes considerable time and money to clean up.
“Money we’d much prefer to spend on improving services and facilities in our Central Coast parks and reserves,” Elliot said.
The public can report illegal dumping, to NPWS Central Coast office on 02 4320 4200 or report it via RIDonline, the EPA’s online reporting service.
