Members of the Central Coast rock climbing community have joined forces with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to conduct a successful cleanup operation in 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.
Upon discovering the dumped lounges near one of their climbing sites, members of the rock-climbing community quickly reported the issue to NPWS.
Working in collaboration with NPWS staff, volunteers from Cragcare utilised ropes, pulleys, and sheer determination to haul the lounges up and over their rock shelf.
In total, approximately 180 kilograms of rubbish, including the discarded lounges, were removed from Bouddi National Park, 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.
The Australian Climbing Association of NSW (ACANSW) is working with land managers across the state to ensure rock climbing is conducted in a manner that is respectful of the environment and other land users.
Quotes attributable to NPWS Ranger Vicki Elliott:
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.
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.
Dumped rubbish is 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.
