Calls mount to lock visitors out of iconic Aussie national park after ‘grubby’ act

Aussies are calling for tougher penalties for campers caught littering in the country's national parks, in the wake of a string of recent "unacceptable" incidents. Authorities say that across the nation, the dumping of waste at vulnerable parks and beaches remains a major "ongoing issue" plaguing some of our most precious sites.

The Kosciuszko National Park, in the NSW Snowy Mountains, is home to a myriad of native plants and animals that are already under threat from brumbies — a controversial topic in and of itself — in addition to four-wheel driving and increased tourism. Now, it's also facing a new danger — hordes of campers descending on the area and leaving behind mountains of "awful" rubbish.

It's an issue that Snowy Mountains residents claim has been on the radar of authorities for some time, with people online stating that it's no "wonder why" some of the park's "gates are getting locked" at night, calling for more spots to be added to the list.

'Grubby' sight at iconic national park slammed by locals

An exasperated local uploaded images of the most recent example of littering earlier this week, branding those responsible "grubs". She said she alerted the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) as a result.

"Five local grubs decided a night of camping was needed and thought this was appropriate," the woman said, adding that though frustrating, she was "wasn't surprised" to see the mess.

"Littering unfortunately remains an ongoing issue within Kosciuszko National Park, and addressing this concern is a priority," a spokesperson for the service told Yahoo News Australia.

Images show a campsite with discarded eskies, broken bottles, liquor, plastic and other burnt waste at the Island Bend Campground in the park's north. People responding branded the sight "awful" and "unacceptable", but many pointed to the fact that the disrespectful behaviour wasn't unusual.

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Aussies call for lockable gates at night

A woman who recently stayed at the spot said lockable gates in certain areas would protect the park. "I’m personally for more gates to places like this," she said. "My family and I just had our first trip to Island Bend for four days and it was incredible. But a locked gate with a gate code that you will be given when you book your place wouldn’t be a bad idea.

"Of course it won’t stop some people paying and getting the code and still doing this. But it’s a start. Amazing places like this must be protected for decent people."

"We need to start doing similar," another replied. "We've experienced the same issues at Mimosa National Park. Certain mobs will set up camp but when they leave, their idea of packing up is to chuck everything on the fire — tent, chairs, the lot," somebody else said.

Authorities share 'disappointment' in ongoing issue

The NPWS spokesperson said the sight at Island Bend was "disappointing" to see. "The NPWS encourages all visitors and campers to adhere to the principles of ‘Leave No Trace’. We ask that visitors leave the park in an even better condition than they found it, disposing of their rubbish responsibly and carrying out any additional litter they may encounter," they told Yahoo.

Last month, messy tourists were called out after a popular camping spot on Australia's coast was left badly littered after the Easter long weekend. Earlier, a community feared a total ban on camping would be implemented after the once pristine Noosa North Shore of the Sunshine Coast was left covered in garbage. In March in the same spot, 20 tourists were slapped with hefty fines as authorities continued their illegal camping “blitz”.

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