The mess starts in and around the toilet block at the rest stop opposite Bathurst Jail on the road into town from Orange on the Mitchell Highway.

A nearby holding pond at the top of Hector Park just behind the rest area is also an eyesore and nothing but a putrid mess.

It was established some years ago as an environmental measure with mass plantings of reed beds aimed at helping improve the water quality as it flows through there, ultimately finding its way into the Macquarie River system.

Vittoria Street resident Jim Schaerf walks through the area almost every day in an effort to stay fit.

He’s certainly not impressed with the situation.

“I try to do what I can to help and pick up the rubbish around the toilet block when I’m there,” he said. “It certainly shows that littering is alive and well in Bathurst, and that some people really don’t care about the environment.

“I am a great believer in how first impressions count and any visitors to town who stop for a break there must think we don’t have much community pride.”

Mr Schaerf said he’s only got praise for Bathurst Regional Council’s efforts in keeping the area tidy, and noted a team of workers were up there last week giving it a clean up, which included taking away five dumped shopping trolleys.

“But it’s not that easy getting the rubbish out of the holding pond because it’s hard to access,” he said. “I think you’d need some sort of a boat. 

“There’s also a pipe running into the holding pond from the Rocket Street side and one wonders what sort of pollution comes in from there. It looks horrible.

“It certainly can’t be good for the wildlife, such as the ducks, and I believe there are certain species of frogs who inhabit the pond.”

The state of the Hector Park area was brought to the attention of the Western Advocate by local resident Tim Herbert.

He told the newspaper it would be worth heading up to the park to see the situation first-hand.

“You should go up to Hector Park and surrounds because there would be great photos showing how human disrespect is smothering the artificial wetlands. How animals are living and swimming with human waste, plastics, bottles, foam and the like. It really needs highlighting,” Mr Herbert said.