This broken glass was found in the sand and on the slide.
Smashed alcohol bottle were strewn through the playground.
Lake Pertobe Playground and picnic area broken glass. 110127LP07PICTURE:LEANNE PICKETT
AS sure as sunshine attracts barbecue-loving families to Lake Pertobe, a burst of warm weather coupled with a public holiday guarantees a huge and often hazardous clean-up for council workers the next day.
Perfect Australia Day weather drew crowds of residents, visitors and drunken revellers to the park, leaving piles of rubbish and smashed bottles in their wake.
A team of Warrnambool City Council staff worked all day to clean up the smashed glass left throughout the park on Wednesday night.
The clean up started at 7am yesterday and while most of the rubbish was cleared before 9am, it took until 4pm before workers cleared the glass from eating areas, grass and playgrounds.
Glass bottles were smashed at most tables and shards of glass were scattered around the car parks, grass areas and playground equipment - where many children play without shoes.
Glass found on the slide and in the sand at one playground forced it to be closed for most of the day as council workers took on the arduous but essential task of raking the sand to remove all traces of broken bottles.
Warrnambool City Council infrastructure services manager Leah Johnston said the process of continually cleaning up after acts of vandalism at Lake Pertobe was frustrating for staff.
"The danger with glass is that it can easily become buried in the grass and sand, and it is dangerous and time consuming to clean-up," he said.
"Our team has worked very hard today to return the playground to safety.
"While they do their absolute best to clean up the glass they find, they are always concerned after incidents like this, that some glass may go undetected and someone may be hurt as a result."
Ms Johnston said it was very disappointing that the playground had to be closed to the public on a beautiful summer's day, when there were many visitors staying in the Lake Pertobe area.
Council has increased local laws patrols to the area and until yesterday there had been no incidents.
Mayor Jacinta Ermacora said most people who enjoyed Australia Day at Lake Pertobe yesterday abided by the law and had a good time.
"Once again it seems a small number of selfish people who have no respect for others have thoughtlessly vandalised our city's premier recreation area," she said.
"This is beyond disappointing. It is wrong and an insult to our community. I hope the perpetrators feel the full force of the law.
"I would like to congratulate Council staff for once again cleaning up after a bunch of thugs to ensure people can enjoy Lake Pertobe in safety."
