Dear Editor,

The article in your recent issue of the Manning Community News brought our attention to an issue that my husband and I have been ‘frustrated’ with for many years.

We have had Caravans since the early 1970s, and Motorhomes since 2003.  Caravans do not have grey water tanks for storage of washing-up and shower water. As a result, all the soapy detergent and shampoo water just runs onto the ground or, even if it runs into a bucket, it still has to be disposed of.  Some more modern caravans have permanent-fixture toilets, accompanied by black water storage, which is emptied into ‘Dump Points’, which are increasingly found around Australia. Some others have only portable toilets, the contents of which can be disposed of in the same manner.   Both types need to have chemicals added to the container. Some of these chemicals are not environmentally friendly, yet sometimes they are dumped into public toilets, or in composting toilets. This method of disposal can cause problems.  The owners of those caravans, with no toilet at all, commonly use buckets in their caravans (at night), which are then emptied out ‘wherever’ the next day.  We have seen some disgusting instances of this happening on our travels.  My point is that Wingham Riverside Reserve is totally unsuited to have any camping or caravanning.  I wonder what the Environmental Authority would think of such activities right on the beautiful Manning River.

When we purchased our first Motorhome, we joined the CMCA (Caravan & Motorhome Assoc.). This organisation has a scheme whereby you can have, if you qualify, stickers on your touring accommodation telling Rangers etc that you ‘Leave No Trace’ of having camped in that location.  This free camping syndrome is out of hand and is, quite frankly, ‘stuffing the Country’.

Kind regards, and keep up the good work.

Robyn Higson.

Old Bar.