Barwon Coast shocked at rise of dog poo on its beaches

AN INCREASE in people along the Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads and 13th Beach foreshores has unfortunately corresponded with a large increase in litter, including dog poo, along the coast.
Barwon Coast is calling for all beach users to pick up after their dogs, reduce their use of takeaway coffee cups, bin their litter or take it home.
The committee of management has received information from a member of the public on litter along a small section of the coastline that permits dogs off-leash under effective control all year round.
The information relates to the period between January to the end of June this year in the section between beach access numbers 7W-14W Ocean Grove, and shows a significant increase in both dog waste and rubbish items.
To date this year, there has been a 63 per cent increase in the amount of dog poo not collected by owners or dog walkers.
Figures for the same time last year were at 2,691, whilst the same time this year increased to 4,398. The month of June alone recorded 1,538 pieces of dog poo not disposed of properly.
Rubbish items increased by 72 per cent; from 9,641 collected last year to a whopping 16,556 pieces of litter for the first half of this year alone.
The month of May saw a total of 5,095 pieces of rubbish items left behind by beach users.
“Barwon Coast would like to thank those within our community doing the right thing of binning your litter or taking it home,” Barwon Coast’s Maddie Glynn said.
“There is no excuse for littering, which includes not cleaning up after your dog.
“The coastal and marine environments are natural areas you recreate in. COVID has provided many of us with additional hours to get out and enjoy this amazing landscape, but at what cost to our natural environments and enjoyment and use by all?”
Barwon Coast chief executive officer Gary McPike said everyone had a duty of care to ensure the items they used or left behind by their dogs were disposed of responsibly by placing them in the bins provided, or even better; taking them home and placing in them in bins at home.