Hume City Council is making its Waste Response Program permanent in a bid to reduce illegal dumping. It was due to end in January 2026 – but will now continue indefinitely and take in all suburbs across the city.
The scheme was launched as a trial in October 2023 working across 12 suburbs to remove small volumes of dumped rubbish, while focusing on community education about free tip passes and rubbish collection.
In 2024, the Waste Response team resolved 4,727 requests to tackle illegally dumped rubbish.
By engaging directly with residents, the team has helped foster a culture of responsibility around waste disposal, reducing reliance on enforcement action, states council.
Last year the team engaged with more than 22,660 households, providing education on correct waste disposal and encouraging responsible practices. This has contributed to a reduction in rubbish dumping cases, saving ratepayers $400,000 in waste management costs – down from $4.7m to $4.3m in the 2023/24 year.
The team responds to a variety of waste-related incidents, including:
Reports of dumped rubbish, both reported and unreported cases
Dumped hazardous materials, such as asbestos
Non-compliant hard waste bookings
Dumped trolleys and rubbish obstructing footpaths and roadways
High-incidence areas where multiple dumping incidents have occurred
Educating residents on utilising their five free waste vouchers per year
