Parks Victoria has praised holiday-goers across East Gippsland for practising their summer safety smarts following a wet start to the season.
Authorised officers were out in full force last week as part of Operation Vergo, contacting hundreds of visitors across Cape Conran Costal Park, Corringle Foreshore Reserve, Lake Tyers State Park, Snowy River National Park, Alpine National Park, Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park and Croajingolong National Park.
Responding to earlier reports of illegal and anti-social activity in the region, they were pleased to see most people doing the right thing while enjoying popular park trails, visitor areas, waterways, beaches and camping sites.
Authorised officers issued 38 infringement notices and eight official warning letters to multiple offenders for several incidents including illegal firewood take, unattended campfires, illegal camping and illegal off-road driving.
This follows the successful seizure of 16 firearms as part of Operation Black Pearl. Parks Victoria, Victoria Police and the Game Management Authority led this late December crackdown, targeting illegal hunting in the Alps. It resulted in eight infringement notices issued with investigations against an additional eight alleged offenders underway.
Parks Victoria is encouraging all visitors to parks and forests to thoroughly research the rules that apply to the location of their upcoming trip prior to departure to get the most out of their holiday and avoid possible penalties.
“It is no secret Australians love camping over the Christmas and New Year holidays. We love seeing visitors explore East Gippsland for the first time or return to the local parks and forests they know and love,” Parks Victoria district manager, Michael Treanor, said.
“While it was encouraging to see people enjoying the great outdoors and keeping an eye on each other, disappointingly, a small number continue to ignore information and signage in a way that harms the environment and disrespects the enjoyment of other park users.
“Parks Victoria is grateful to those who continue to do the right thing, particularly as we work through the complexities of recent flooding across important cultural and ecological landscapes in a region already impacted by multiple, severe weather events.”
Visitors can brush up on their camping and campfire skills through the step-by-step online guides and video series. Remember to check the Parks Victoria website for change of condition notices and download the VicEmergency app for alerts on emergency weather conditions and incidents.
Authorised officers will continue actively patrolling and enforcing regulations during the busy holiday period to ensure the preservation of local environmental and cultural values and the safety of all park visitors and staff, ensuring everyone makes it home.
