Illegal rubbish dumping poses threat to our local forests

Illegal rubbish dumping poses threat to our local forests

 23 July 2018

Illegal rubbish dumping in our Green Triangle forests has been an ongoing problem for forest growers and the community for many years. Disappointingly this has been reconfirmed by the team at OneFortyOne Plantations, with a spate of rubbish dumping in and around the region.

Whilst abandoned vehicles in the forests during the summer fire season pose the greatest threat from a community protection perspective, OFO’s Estate Manager Andrew Matheson has been concerned by this latest spate.

“We’ve had a number of incidents recently where asbestos and broken glass have been dumped in the forests, and more worryingly on the outskirts of the forest bordering a local township”, he said.

Local residents are understandably concerned as well, with the forest grower working closely with the public and a local asbestos removal firm to clean up the mess.

“Our forests provide the community with a wonderful opportunity to take a walk through the trees, to explore and find rare ghost mushrooms and generally just reconnect with nature.

And sadly, there are still a minority who think it’s acceptable to dump rubbish in these magnificent forests. This behaviour not only ruins the experience for everyone who uses the forest, but more importantly it is putting members of the public safety at risk”, said Mr Matheson.

Whilst the company is looking at ways to identify those who choose to do the wrong thing via its network of surveillance cameras, OFO encourages anyone who sees rubbish being dumped or finds something in the forests to contact the office.

“We will continue to work with the relevant authorities and the community to keep our precious forests clean and safe for everyone to enjoy today and for future generations”, said Mr Matheson.