One of Australia’s ‘hidden gems’ is being destroyed as visitors ‘take a dump’ at the popular swimming hole.
Locals say the lack of toilets at Little Blue Lake on the Limestone Coast, south-east South Australia, is becoming a major problem.
Little Blue is a picturesque sinkhole in a paddock between two dormant volcanoes, Mount Schank and Mount Gambier.
Stairs and a floating pontoon have been built at the waterfront to improve public safety and access, but no public toilets are available.
Locals say the lack of toilets at Little Blue Lake on the Limestone Coast, south-east South Australia, is becoming a major problem.
Graham Kilsby raised the issue at a Grant District Council meeting last week.
He owns and manages nearby Kilsby Sinkhole and has been going to Little Blue since he was a child.
Mr Kilsby said he had received a lot of tourism feedback from visitors who all felt toilets were a necessity there.
“I think what broke the camel’s back for me is that we recently had a customer who went down and saw someone dumping in the spot under an apple tree at the water’s edge,” he said. The advertiser.
“People spend most of the day there, or several hours, so without a toilet it’s not hard to imagine where those people pee.”
Stairs and a floating pontoon have been completed at the water’s edge to improve public safety and access. The only thing missing is a toilet
Ockert Le Roux, a local photographer who visited the lake at Easter, said he was “shocked” by what he saw.
He said the lack of toilet facilities for up to 1,500 guests per day is worrying.
Mr Le Roux urged the relevant authorities to rectify the toilet situation, explaining that it poses a significant health risk.
The Mount Gambier and District Residents and Ratepayers Association said they had received “disturbing” reports of large amounts of human feces in and around the tourism hotspot.
The Mount Gambier and District Residents and Ratepayers Association said they had received “disturbing” reports of large amounts of human feces in and around the tourism hotspot.
The campsite car park and the road to the sinkhole may also need an upgrade, with Mr Kilsby explaining that there is often a lot of water in the car park during the summer months.
“It’s a matter of both the health and maintaining the beauty and quality of the sinkhole and its surroundings,” he said.
Mayor Kylie Boston said any toilet development on the site would have to be installed on land controlled by the state Department of Environment and Water after planning and approval.
In the coming months, the council will discuss the lack of facilities at the location.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Boston for further comment.