You wouldn't appreciate someone leaving their rubbish in your yard, so what makes it acceptable to do it in someone else's?
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
Visitors to the outback have been found not to dispose of their rubbish properly, inadequately bury their biowaste, and venture off designated roads and get lost, bogged or disturb livestock.
The Aussie Travel Code, which includes brightly-coloured signed popping up in the region, is an initiative focused on managing the environmental, social and economic impacts felt by successful tourist destinations.
Flinders Ranges & Outback Tourism and Outback Communities Authority have partnered together to drive it.
"Imagine the massive spider has wings, and it can catch a breeze and fly towards you. That's what happens to the dirty toilet paper."
- Aussie Travel Code
Authority presiding member Jan Ferguson OAM said tourism operators, property owners, and other residents really want to see these issues addressed.
Flinders Ranges and Outback Tourism chair Jo Fort said the initiative aspires to set an informal 'Code of Conduct' for visitors to unfamiliar regions.
"It asks travellers to check a region's Code during trip planning to receive localised advice on how to stay safe and travel responsibly."
For example, in the Flinders Ranges and Outback, the code asks people to take their rubbish with them and dispose of it when they can find a bin or disposal site. On top of that, be mindful not to just use town bins, as doing so may affect waste facilities in small, remote communities.
Also, if someone needs to relieve themselves - particularly for poo - and a public toilet isn't available, the advice is to dig a deep hole first, do your business, burn the toilet paper in the hole, and then fill the hole.
"You know the feeling of dread when you find a massive spider in the house? Well, that's how it feels to discover piles of human waste by the side of the road, left behind by travellers who didn't plan their toilet stops properly," the code's website says.
"Now imagine the massive spider has wings, and it can catch a breeze and fly towards you. That's what happens to the dirty toilet paper."
The outcomes can be serious when people don't follow the advice, but Jo said they wanted everyone to feel welcome. Hence the Code approached the topics with a bit of levity.
"Becoming a partner of the Aussie Travel Code helps us to meet the needs of a range of stakeholders in a fun and engaging way," Jo said.
"We assume our visitors are coming here because they love us and the region, and will do the right thing if we help them understand how."
Click here for more information.
