Wyndham City’s efforts to combat illegal dumpers has led to a number of people being caught discarding rubbish in Wyndham Vale and deterred others from illegally offloading commercial quantities of renovation materials.
A number of people who dumped household items in rural and remote locations, and in one instance set fire to the material, were caught on camera.
Wyndham City successfully identified the illegal dumpers with use of clearly marked roadside cameras. These cameras photographed people dumping during the day and night. Council then took enforcement action against them.
The strategic use of CCTV cameras and increased patrols are noted as deterring the dumping of up to 10 loads a week of commercial quantities of renovation materials
Local Laws Officers issued enforcement orders in July against two offenders, who were forced to return to the location and clean up their mess.
Wyndham City Mayor, Councillor Peter Maynard, said continued enforcement is expected to further reduce this illegal behaviour.
“We are committed to our Keep Wyndham Clean campaign and aim to put a stop to the increased incidence of littering and dumping,” he said.
“Renovation materials and household goods are most commonly found. I encourage those who spot vehicles offloading rubbish illegally to take down the registration plate of the vehicle and note the location to report back to Council.”
Wyndham Councillor Robert Szatkowski, the Climate Futures and Environment portfolio holder said more than $2 million was spent each year cleaning up dumped rubbish – money that would be better spent on services and programs to help the community.
“Those caught dumping rubbish will be made to clean up the mess and face fines of between $330 and $8,000 (there are higher fines and potential criminal convictions depending on the severity and type of dumping),” Cr Szatkowski said.
Council offers residents and renters free options to dispose of rubbish, including three free hard waste and green waste collections every year.
