Bushland which borders residential and recreational areas is subject to an element of abuse. In other words, the environmental integrity of the bushland is being abused by people who regard that bushland as a suitable depository for all their unwanted property and rubbish.
As you move around the numerous reserves in both The Hills and Hornsby Shires, it is not uncommon to come across what is in effect foreign matter deposited into the borders of our bushland. Apart from the distasteful visual impact it presents, all of this “stuff” has a detrimental impact on the natural area into which it is deposited.
What is “got rid of” by selfish and thoughtless people in a matter of minutes, takes decades for the bushland environment to recover – if at all. Weed laden soil dumped “out of sight – out of mind”, might be a convenient solution at the time, but turns into, what amounts to a disaster for the indigenous vegetation into which it has been dumped.
Not all rubbish in bushland is deliberately placed there, but is as a result of the careless actions of people who possess a total misunderstanding of the consequences of their actions. They do not comprehend where those plastic bottles and paper food containers may end up after they casually throw them out the car window or into the gutter to be washed away with the next downpour of rain and thus into bushland waterways.
Such laziness and selfish disregard for responsible behaviour is why Australia needs such occasions as “Clean Up Australia Day”.
Fortunately, in the Hills, there are dedicated Bush Care Volunteers who regularly have to clean up the mess left at the fringes of our otherwise pristine bushland.
