Frustrated by a lack of action from government agencies, two Macedon Ranges mountain bike riders have begun cleaning up illegally dumped rubbish in the Wombat State Forest themselves.
Long-time local residents, Matthew Connor and Craig Jones, spent part of their weekend removing waste from several dumping sites after becoming increasingly concerned about the amount of rubbish being left in the forest.
Mr Connor said repeated attempts by community members to report dumping had resulted in responsibility being shifted between agencies.
“Neither council, Parks Victoria nor DEECA want to take responsibility, so we decided to make a start cleaning up,” he said.
“If you want the bush clean, just do it yourself, and they’ll still be there two years from now wondering what to do.”
The pair cleared rubbish from three sites in a single day, including what Mr Connor described as an entire bathroom that had been dumped on Gerrys Track and left there for months.
They also documented several sites near Carrolls Lane at Bullengarook where asbestos-containing material had been dumped.
“Both these sites have been marked by authorities as containing asbestos and left for at least six months,” Mr Connor said.
“In one case it is in a car park and is being driven over, yet it still hasn’t been removed.
“We have spoken to several people who have reported the asbestos and cannot believe it has not been cleaned up.”
Mr Connor said there were multiple dumps of household and building waste along the same stretch of forest.
The issue has been further compounded by industrial action involving Parks Victoria staff, with signs erected at some locations advising that potential rubbish collection and clean-up works will be delayed while the dispute continues.
Photos of the dumping sites and the clean-up effort shared on social media have attracted widespread support from residents, with many praising the pair for taking action.
Mr Connor and Mr Jones say they intend to continue removing rubbish from the forest in the hope of restoring affected areas and drawing attention to the ongoing problem of illegal dumping.
