General News
21 July, 2021
Litter bugs resident
DURHAM OX resident Luke Palmer wants greater care taken of the Loddon Valley Highway rest stop. Although one rubbish bin was installed at the highway stop last week, Luke wants a second placed 50 metres away near the pergoda and picnic tables facing...
DURHAM OX resident Luke Palmer wants greater care taken of the Loddon Valley Highway rest stop.
Although one rubbish bin was installed at the highway stop last week, Luke wants a second placed 50 metres away near the pergoda and picnic tables facing the Boort road.
And he is concerned that the pergoda is being used as a toilet by travellers.
Living nearby, Luke says it is not uncommon to see cars stop, drivers and passengers alight and treat the brick structure as a toilet.
“This can be a busy stop on the highway and there’s no toilet facilities for travellers,” he said.
Loddon Shire Council director operations Steven Phillips said: “Council has recently replaced the bin with a surround at Durham Ox.
“It is considered that one bin should be sufficient for litter control at the site and council staff will continue to monitor the location.
“At this point in time council does not have plans to increase the number of its public toilets across the shire,” Mr Phillips said.
However, Luke believes the area needs additional facilities and wants to see the stop improved.
“If people stop to eat at the tables near the pergoda, it’s a sure bet they won’t walk around the corner to the one and only bin.
“And instead of taking their rubbish home, they’ll leave it here.”
The former interstate truck driver and mine worker says the public waste problem had not been fully addressed.
“Some people can be disgusting, leaving soiled nappies on the ground,” he said.
Luke said he had purchased the former Durham Ox store block and hoped to beautify it with trees and make the highway stop more attractive for motorists. “A simple thing like an extra bin will also help turn the area into a nicer spot, instead of being treated as a litter drop point and the risk of rubbish flying around,” he said.