Fly tippers across Hume have been put on notice as council bosses explore a range of ideas to catch, shame, and prosecute those who illegally dump rubbish. It’s also investigating a Dob in a Dumper scheme.
“The issues around dumped rubbish are as big as they’ve ever been, and enough is enough,” said Cllr Carly Moore at a council meting on 13 May. “I will no long accept that people do not know that dumping rubbish is illegal.
“There are many people in our community who do the right thing, and I know that like all of us they are extremely frustrated with the people who do not.
“I think it is time to get tough on those people who are doing the wrong thing. It is time to invest in the technology we need to catch these wrong-doers. It is time to name and shame them, and time for our community to have a mechanism to dob in others doing the wrong thing.”
Sunbury Cllr Jack Medcraft said: “We need to get serious and be fair dinkum…This social justice garbage that goes on about you can’t put anything up, and you can’t make people feel bad, that’s all over red rover.
“We need to make these people accountable, and the thing that people don’t understand is that if you go and book a cheap tip truck, or any vehicle that’s going to take rubbish away from your site, you are responsible for that rubbish where ever it goes.
“You can’t say ‘oh it’s the guy with the truck that’s responsible’. No. You are responsible. If people think they are doing it easy, and they pay the cheap rate for these cowboys, then you had better think again. Because if there is any part of that rubbish that’s got identification in it, you are in great trouble.”
Cllr Medcraft wants to see fines for illegal dumping substantially increased. Currently, those caught dumping rubbish on council land could be prosecuted in court, with fines of between $385 and tens of thousands of dollars.
“If you can’t pay the fines, we’ll get you out there to clean up some of the rubbish,” he said. “That would be a nice community based order. So I hope the courts take it on board when we do prosecute.”
City mayor Naim Kurt says fly tipping is at crisis levels, and that council is working on a regional taskforce to target those dumping rubbish where they shouldn’t.
“There will be a mayoral leadership lunch next month, bringing together heads from the EPA, northern councils, and others to talk about how we can combat waste issues in our municipality,” he said.
That council receives a report to a strategy and policy briefing exploring opportunities to further the war on waste through the following initiatives:
Increased surveillance and prosecutions through increased enforcement activity. This should include but is not limited to increased use of CCTV, a firmer approach to prosecution and an ongoing commitment to the Waste Response Team.
A name and shame program where CCTV footage and prosecution outcomes are made publicly available. This could be similar to posts by Victoria Police and Crime Stoppers that include photos and details and seek community information.
The establishment of a Dob in a Dumper platform, allowing our residents to easily report those people seen behaving inappropriately with consideration for the
requirements to ensure such information could be used for prosecutions. An initial estimate of the required funding for such initiatives should be provided ahead of the adoption of the 24/25 annual budget.
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