Part of the clean up crew, L-R Adam McCormack, Adrian Seeary and Darren Supple.
STAWELL - Volunteers are taking it upon themselves to clean up the scourge of waste which is being dumped in parks across Stawell.
A group of five spent an entire Saturday last month clearing rubbish from the Ironbarks Forest.
The group moved to clean up a number of dumping locations including two that had been left untouched since at least the New Year.
Items that were removed included a couch, two arm chairs, multiple tyres, television, washing machine, bathroom cabinet, chest of drawers, electrical cables, bike tyres, cans, bottles and clothing.
The four trailer loads of materials were dumped in fire dams, mine shafts and on top of natural vegetation.
Parks Victoria allowed Darren Supple to led Mal Pitcher, Adam McCormack, David Furness and Adrian Seeary on the clean up which lasted seven hours.
Mr Supple said it was very simple why he decided something had to be done.
"It isn't the first time I have done it, but I think like most people I just don't like seeing rubbish dumped out in the bush," he said.
"I like to see wildlife and natural vegetation, just what anybody else likes to see in the bush, not rubbish."
Mr Supple said there appears to be a lot more rubbish in the nature reserves around town at the moment.
"It certainly looks like there is a lot more rubbish out there lately," he said.
Mr Pitcher said some of the rubbish dumpings came down to pure laziness.
"At one spot someone had dropped all their domestic rubbish in the middle of a track and covered it with grass clippings," he said.
"Just completely lazy, not right and ridiculous.
"We probably cleaned up about nine separate locations, but there were more out there across the forest."
The group sorted a lot of the material into recyclables and split into groups so they could get the clean up done as efficiently as possible.
Mr Pitcher and Mr Supple both believe a hard rubbish collection once a year could be the answer to the ongoing problem.
"If council had a hard rubbish collection even just once a year people could leave their bigger items like their televisions out on the nature strip like in other towns and have them collected," Mr Pitcher said.
He said people really need to start thinking about what they are doing.
"It isn't just the fact the rubbish is being dumped, but the hazard and risk to people's health and safety some of the items leave behind."
Parks Victoria has indicated they will be increasing patrols and using surveillance in an effort to crack down on the illegal and environmentally destructive behaviour.
A number of donations were made towards the clean up to make the effort possible with $50 each donated from Mick Barnett at Skyrider, Adrian and Tanya Seeary at the Highway Milk Bar, the Baptist Church and Scott's Auto Electrics.
Simpson Trailer Hire donated the trailer, while Euroka Morning Star Lodge put $100 behind the clean up.