Main Roads WA bulldoze Marbelup rest area after campers and motorists dump razors, food waste and excrement
A rest stop on South Coast Highway between Albany and Denmark has been closed for good after holidaymakers and illegal campers trashed the area over Easter.
Main Roads WA removed the bins, bulldozed the Marbelup pit-stop and then blocked access, after visitors left rubbish, which included everything from food waste to razors and a portable toilet filled with excrement.
A Main Roads statement said it was not the first time they had removed the bins because of illegal dumping.
'Rest areas may be closed for a number of reasons, with safety for drivers and illegal dumping among the key reasons,' the statement said.
'Rubbish bins are provided at most rest areas across the Great Southern Region, however the Marbelup rest area, like many other stopping places closer to townsites, had its bins removed due to the excessive amount of illegal dumping of household refuse.'
The City of Albany's sustainability and waste strategy coordinator Julia Passmore called on motorists to take their rubbish home with them.
'We encourage everyone to carry out what they carry in when visiting local attractions,' she said.
'Fortunately most visitors did the right thing over the recent holiday period.
'With more than 400 public bins across Albany and the Hanrahan Road Waste Facility open daily, there are always better options than dumping or littering.'
Roadsides are some of the most littered sites in the State, according to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.
'If there is no bin, or the bin is full, take your rubbish with you and dispose of it responsibly when another bin is available,' a department spokesperson said.
'Keep Australia Beautiful WA and Main Roads WA have collaborated for more than 10 years to provide 10,000 Outback Packs per year.
'The packs contain litter bags and accessories to enable motorists to conduct clean-ups along the way.'
The packs are available at visitor centres throughout WA and at Albany Library.
Since 2023, Main Roads has closed nine rest areas, built 11 and upgraded 12.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Courier-Mail
6 days ago
- Courier-Mail
Margot Robbie's secret Aussie farm stay for sale
A stunning rustic retreat frequented by Hollywood star Margot Robbie has hit the market with a $4.9m asking price. The Barbie star has visited the secluded acreage property several times over the past year, it can be revealed. Known as The Orchard, the 2.99ha holding is set amid rainforest in the picturesque Tallebudgera Valley on the Gold Coast – not far from where the 34-year-old actor spent her childhood. The property at 149 Petsch Creek Rd, which had operated as a short-term holiday rental, is marketed by Coastal agent, Ed Cherry. Owner Chris Lang purchased the estate in April last year, but is selling up to pursue another opportunity with wife Chloe, who operates popular eateries, Tarte Bakery and Beach House. Mr Cherry said a creek ran through the property, which was surrounded on three sides by national park, forming a 'private oasis'. 'This is a very special place and it's been Margot's retreat. She stays in the guest accommodation when she is here,' he said. 'It feels likes a slice of the Byron Hinterland paradise but in the middle of the Gold Coast, where you have privacy but also proximity. 'And the property itself is like an island with 500m of creek frontage, so you cross a concrete bridge over the water when you enter.' MORE NEWS Byron Bay's Beach Hotel sold for $140m Real estate playboy spills on Aussie market Private club: Aussie stranger swap exposed The main residence is a renovated modern farmhouse combining contemporary comfort and country charm, with features including timber floors, panelled walls, and French doors. Three bedrooms and three bathrooms are set over two levels, anchored by open-plan living spaces and a beautiful kitchen with a butler's pantry and servery window opening onto wraparound decking. A shed has been converted into guest accommodation or a separate entertainment space, complete with a bar, wood heater, and freestanding tub. Other features include a pool with sun deck, pizza oven, infrared barrel sauna, ice bath, hot tub and an outdoor shower – together creating an ideal bush-style antidote to a Barbie dream house. The property is named for its abundance of fruit and nut trees, veggie gardens and landscaped grounds. 'It is a hidden, high-end escape to reconnect, rejuvenate and simply soak up the beauty of nature,' the listing states. Three-time Oscar nominee Robbie and her husband Tom Ackerley are based in the US and returned to Queensland in the Easter holidays for the first time since welcoming a son in October last year. PropTrack data shows the median house price in Tallebudgera Valley has dropped 16 per cent to $1.84m over the past 12 months, following huge growth since the pandemic boom.
West Australian
25-05-2025
- West Australian
Main Roads WA bulldoze Marbelup rest area after campers and motorists dump razors, food waste and excrement
A rest stop on South Coast Highway between Albany and Denmark has been closed for good after holidaymakers and illegal campers trashed the area over Easter. Main Roads WA removed the bins, bulldozed the Marbelup pit-stop and then blocked access, after visitors left rubbish, which included everything from food waste to razors and a portable toilet filled with excrement. A Main Roads statement said it was not the first time they had removed the bins because of illegal dumping. 'Rest areas may be closed for a number of reasons, with safety for drivers and illegal dumping among the key reasons,' the statement said. 'Rubbish bins are provided at most rest areas across the Great Southern Region, however the Marbelup rest area, like many other stopping places closer to townsites, had its bins removed due to the excessive amount of illegal dumping of household refuse.' The City of Albany's sustainability and waste strategy coordinator Julia Passmore called on motorists to take their rubbish home with them. 'We encourage everyone to carry out what they carry in when visiting local attractions,' she said. 'Fortunately most visitors did the right thing over the recent holiday period. 'With more than 400 public bins across Albany and the Hanrahan Road Waste Facility open daily, there are always better options than dumping or littering.' Roadsides are some of the most littered sites in the State, according to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. 'If there is no bin, or the bin is full, take your rubbish with you and dispose of it responsibly when another bin is available,' a department spokesperson said. 'Keep Australia Beautiful WA and Main Roads WA have collaborated for more than 10 years to provide 10,000 Outback Packs per year. 'The packs contain litter bags and accessories to enable motorists to conduct clean-ups along the way.' The packs are available at visitor centres throughout WA and at Albany Library. Since 2023, Main Roads has closed nine rest areas, built 11 and upgraded 12.
Sydney Morning Herald
24-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Harebrained': Free camping policy scrapped after ghost campers, empty sites
Tourism operators in regional communities and avid campers are breathing a sigh of relief after the Allan government dumped a free camping initiative that they say did more harm than good. Critics remain furious the government pushed ahead with the 'harebrained' policy, despite warnings from the outset it would negatively impact national parks, hurt local communities and put enormous pressure on cash-strapped Parks Victoria. The initiative, announced in October by Premier Jacinta Allan and Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos, gave campers free access to all of the state's 131 formerly paid Parks Victoria campgrounds from December 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. They estimated it would save campers $7.3 million – with booking fees costing up to $40 a night for more popular areas. While it resulted in an enormous spike in bookings – up 93 per cent from the year prior, according to Parks Victoria – the initiative was besieged with problems. Many campers who secured spots were no-shows, leaving some of the state's most popular campsites desolate over peak periods. Meanwhile, caravan park rates soared and rubbish dumping increased. Loading Gippsland East MP Tim Bull and fellow Nationals MP Melina Bath warned against the policy from the outset and continually raised concerns to the government over its six-month lifespan. Bull said campsites within his electorate usually full from Boxing Day through to the middle of January were, at best, two-thirds full – meaning thousands fewer campers in East Gippsland. 'It was a debacle over Christmas,' Bull said. 'I raised it again prior to Easter and said, 'we don't want our peak tourist season camp parks with 50 per cent vacancies like we had over Christmas'. 'It wasn't fixed for Easter, and it happened again ... We're still recovering from fires and COVID down here that were back to back, and we rely on our campsites being full for our local communities.'
