PARTS of “butchered” animal carcasses were found in Ballarat’s bush land by volunteers during an organised clean-up last weekend.
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DELWP says the dumping of partly butchered carcasses in forests is relatively infrequent but admitted it did happen.
A cow and a couple of sheep were found by the volunteers from the Clean Up the Bush initiative organised by 4WD Victoria at the Creswick State Forest near Nerrina.
The EPA has slammed the practice as damaging to the environment.
EPA executive director of regional services Damian Wells said it was important people acted responsibly to avoid some of the health and environmental issues that could otherwise occur as a result of poor disposal of animal remains.
The EPA advises people to research the appropriate places to dump rubbish and warned inappropriate disposal of waste may be an offence under the environment protection act or contravene a local municipal law.
Ballarat City Council deputy mayor and sustainability advocate Belinda Coates said it was frustrating for governments and council that people flouted laws and did not use the proper waste disposal services that governments invested in.
“It really is extremely disappointing that people do things like this and think it is ok to do it, time and time again,” Cr Coates said.
“There are potential health impacts as well as negative environmental impacts from the dumping of animal carcasses and car carcasses.”
Cr Coates urged anyone who witnesses such abhorrent dumping to report anything they saw.
“Take number plates, take photographs … people do this because they think they can get away with it," Cr Coates said.
Clean Up the Bush co-ordinator Wayne Hevey said the carcasses found were “pretty rotten”.
“There were bits taken,” Mr Hevey said.
He said carcasses and offal had previously been found at a Gippsland site where volunteers were told a butcher regularly disposed of unwanted animal off-cuts in public bush land.
Mr Hevey said volunteers donated their time to clean up other people’s rubbish and it was disappointing that they had to find pieces and organs of discarded animals.
“Who knows what you might contract – we don’t and don’t want to expose our volunteers to risks,” Mr Hevey said.
DELWP Grampains Regional manager Amanda Carabott said dumped animal carcasses were “reported once or twice a year” with the carcasses “generally small quantities of discarded live stock remains”. Contact EPA on 1300 372 842.
