Private shower ban at Burrum Coast National Park - Is this a trend?

[britts]

Just invite the neighbors in then it's not a private shower anymore

[Jason B]

Just invite the neighbors in then it's not a private shower anymore

Just hope they are back packers from an appropriate European country!

[Brad_m]

Instead of bringing in rules that over regulate everyone because of a few, NPWS needs to actually develop a compliance policy, that targets the wrong doers. If they actually issued fines and enforced regulations instead of giving every one cuddles they might find that more people toed the line.

NPWS is known as a soft touch, when it comes to compliance. Education only works on fair minded people, the idiots that vandalise areas need a big stick. The legislation is there but the culture needs to change. Once some of the morons are prosecuted the word might get out.

In addition there our parks, NPWS is funded with tax payers money, this should be used to provide facilities and open up areas not build fences and do research to find some obscure nymph that justifies the closure of areas to people.

I have done many joint ops with the NPWS and am constantly amazed at the soft approach they have to compliance. We came across a guy in Kosy one day that had driven 50km into the park with his pig dogs. He had then thrown them in his boat and taken them across the dam into a wilderness/conservation area. He also had some illegal traps and no fishing licence and was in possession of a bow with arrows. NPWS action = a warning. I issued him with $700 in tickets for the licence/traps and seized the illegal traps. Turns out he had form with the Police for illegally hunting in parks previously.

Jas

This is a problem everywhere,  The jerkwad moron bogan feckwits will ALWAYS do what they feel like because we let them do it.   

I pulled a pair of them up on the Easter weekend for camping in the middle of a track.   It ended in one of the bogan feckwits throwing a large at my 4x4.   They know that all they need to do is be a little threatening and most people will ignore what they are doing.   
Not me, not any more, I'm sick of the bull Shit and the damage to camp sites and rubbish that gets left behind.  EVERY TIME I see these jerkwad moron bogan feckwits acting like jerkwad moron bogan feckwits i'm going do something about it.

[Jason B]

This is a problem everywhere,  The jerkwad moron bogan feckwits will ALWAYS do what they feel like because we let them do it.   

I pulled a pair of them up on the Easter weekend for camping in the middle of a track.   It ended in one of the bogan feckwits throwing a large at my 4x4.   They know that all they need to do is be a little threatening and most people will ignore what they are doing.   
Not me, not any more, I'm sick of the bull **** and the damage to camp sites and rubbish that gets left behind.  EVERY TIME I see these jerkwad moron bogan feckwits acting like jerkwad moron bogan feckwits i'm going do something about it.

Start a movement mate, I will join.

I want a shirt with "I hate jerwad moron bogan feckwits" printed on it. 

Jas

[xcvator]

Start a movement mate, I will join.

I want a shirt with "I hate jerwad moron bogan feckits" printed on it. 

Jas

x2

[SteveandViv]

So why not just heat your water & take it into the shower cubicle? As an owner / user of a shower tent, I have done this at a couple of national parks where there is only cold showers or one of those donkey set ups. We use one of those hand pump Coleman (I think) showers. Works well.

For those that use their grey water on their garden at home, maybe you should check the local laws as you may find that it is illegal to do so. Ther usually is more than a bit of detergent in grey water.

For those that use their grey water on their garden at home, maybe you should check the local laws as you may find that it is illegal to do so. Ther usually is more than a bit of detergent in grey water.

No it's not. Yes there are rules around it such as storage time and you also can not spray it, it must be drip feed. I think the holding time is 24 or 48 hours that the tank must be recycled. That us the law in NSW anyway as we did that in the Blue Mountains, a heritage listed area.

[SteveandViv]

Pauly.
I have invited the knockers of National Parks on many occasions to go and spend some time with the people who have to fix all of the vandalism and clean up after those who believe it is their god given right to disregard rules that the majority seem to have no problem following (mostly for the greater good) My question is if those that want to go anywhere anytime and do anything they want are such great assets to our community of bush campers, why is it they even go to National Parks, they would have so many private land owners begging them to camp on their properties for free, if they have such a small impact on the environment.
Fully agree that an explanation of the ban would be helpful, but I am sure the answer is the discusion above.
I do not know if it is a trend but with a steadily increasing numbers of people camping the impacts are getting bigger

Where talking about one thing here. Not condoning idiots that do far worse that have a wash. Don't blend the rest of your views with this one point. As intelligent beings I agree with you though, a full explanation would be helpful.

[Brad_m]

No it's not. Yes there are rules around it such as storage time and you also can not spray it, it must be drip feed. I think the holding time is 24 or 48 hours that the tank must be recycled. That us the law in NSW anyway as we did that in the Blue Mountains, a heritage listed area.

I grew up in a house that had three gray water pipes/hoses coming from the house (bath, kitchen, laundry)  that just discharged straight on to the lawn.
House was built that way.    The whole estate was built with out  a sewage connection every house had grey water discharged onto the lawn and septic tanks.

We had ten mango trees and 5m square banana crop that loved the stuff

[Oddy]

The (cold-only) showers in the amenity block had a rope above them hanging from the rafters - I was told they were for hanging a bag of hot water (brought over from your camp). 

The rangers do have a tough time dealing with some visitors, especially at periods like Easter.  The ranger who came around each morning was a chatty bloke - you could tell that before he spoke by the fact that he turned off his engine as he pulled up at each camp site. He said on the Thursday morning (day before Good Friday) that the "Easter chaos" had already started - despite the Northern section of the Burrum Coast park (Kinkuna) being closed due to water over the access road (lots of water), there were already people driving in past the road closed signs and heading into a section of private land (a sand mining lease) within the NP boundaries and camping there. He has to waste time, and endure the hassle, of making arrangements to have them moved out of there.

Despite the no hot shower rule, and tightly bollarded camp sites (the photo below of our setup was one of the "large" sites - the "small" site opposite us (these are the website descriptions) was hardly big enough to put up a one-man tent and park a bicycle next to it.  So, trailer owners, only select a "Large" site when booking on line here.



Still, a great spot for a few nights.

Cheers
Oddy

[4wd26]

That is terrific news for experienced campers and travellers. Hopefully this will reduce the disgusting practice of campers (and caravanners) having showers with scant regard for the sewerage run-off onto the ground

What would you have people do with their grey water from showers? Perhaps you are clued in on some new apparatus that will magically make all this terrible stuff just dissappear.

I use my grey water at home to water my plants and gardens and they thrive on it.

Are you actually advocating taking this terrible grey water back to our respective homes and then disposing of it down the sewer? that is assuming we had the capacity to carry all this waste water.

yes that is the principal for low impact camping- you have the facility to take water and rubbish into the bush- isn't it also your responsibility to take this rubbish and "now dirty water" dish washing, showering etc with you?

notice how national parks are now no longer supplying bins?

this is the next frontier- get used to it.

moves are already afoot- see this notice as the start, you will need certification that you carry you grey waste away from these areas.

CMCA initiatives:-
•    The Leave No Trace® – Self Containment Code of Conduct Scheme is a CMCA initiative that includes
adherence to a Code of Conduct and an environmental commitment. Vehicles registered in this scheme
must be able to retain all waste within the vehicle.

as to the original quoted message- travel to a few of the free campsites in the "bible" camp 6 etc and you can see evidence of the film/ crust left from the showers and washing machines that the "larger" self contained caravans etc can leave- think of the specs of a bush tracker type van 400lts of fresh water and facilities fro a washing machine, the potential for these types of wastes to exist.

look I'm currently guilty, my van has a shower toilet, I carry the black waste (sewerage) away, but the sink and shower water get directed away from the van into the bush, I'm currently making efforts to include another "grey water tank" as I'd rather be part of the solution rather than part of the problem in getting places "locked" away.

nothing disturbs me more than turning up to a beach campsite and finding the past toilet of the person before, I can see how people could also see the grey waste scum in the same light- not everyone thinks the same, and one persons ideal campsite could have once been someones ideal toilet 

[SteveandViv]

I think that is a very good point. I was looking at it from my point of view where we don;t use much water and have the thought to move it around rather than just one spot. I was forgetting the fact that caravans my do washing etc while at one of those camps and can see how that may cause grief when we use a old bucket and stick to wash and then there isn't much water in any case. We also tend to go places that are not on the beaten track so seldom see the damage being done.

[markg]

Yep, many will agree - many will disagree. But I was brought up in a 'take only photos - leave only footprints' way.

As far as I'm concerned "grey water" is sewarage and I treat it - and the people who create it - with the same disdain as the also-growing number of caravanners who drop thier washing machine water ("grey water") all over campgrounds and road-side rest areas

It's disgusting and as the orginal poster asked, yes I hope banning of showers is a trend

yep this guy is a hypocrite, he sells a camper with a 80l water tank and a  kitchen
with big off-road tyres and no grey water tank 

   

[GeeTee]

yep this guy is a hypocrite, he sells a camper with a 80l water tank and a  kitchen
with big off-road tyres and no grey water tank 

Hi Mark! Thanks for the rap on my tyres and tank...but you forgot to mention the optional on-board shower available with every GT Campers Toyota Hilux Expedition!!!!! 

I think you, like several others, have missed the point: the issue raised by the OP is showers in established campgrounds, especially where there are provided showers, not a tree-hugging, fart-and-the-world-is-doomed mantra.

I'm sure park rangers are - as are many experienced travelers - sick of having to deal with the one-metre square quagmire, of questionable makeup, that remains at many campsites after an 'I've got everything' hero packs up his shower that's had seventeen uses in two days - just because he can - and departs.

Wanna camp in that?! 

[Topender]

Hi Mark! Thanks for the rap on my tyres and tank...but you forgot to mention the optional on-board shower available with every GT Campers Toyota Hilux Expedition!!!!! 

I think you, like several others, have missed the point: the issue raised by the OP is showers in established campgrounds, especially where there are provided showers, not a tree-hugging, fart-and-the-world-is-doomed mantra.

I'm sure park rangers are - as are many experienced travelers - sick of having to deal with the one-metre square quagmire, of questionable makeup, that remains at many campsites after an 'I've got everything' hero packs up his shower that's had seventeen uses in two days - just because he can - and departs.

Wanna camp in that?!

Jealous Much?