Rock climbers and rangers join forces to clean up national park

Members of the Central Coast rock climbing community have joined forces with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to conduct a successful clean-up 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 Dr 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 the rock shelf.

In total, about 180kgs 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.

“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 Elliott 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.

“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.

“If you see anybody dumping rubbish, or have any information about illegal dumping, please contact our Central Coast office on 02 4320 4200 or report it via RIDonline, the EPA’s online reporting service.”