Michaela Meade
Hume council has launched a new campaign to combat the soaring amount of waste being illegally dumped in the municipality.
Sustainable infrastructure and services director Peter Waite said the campaign encouraged the community to report illegally dumped rubbish.
“A range of enforcement signage has been rolled out, including a community partnership with Stockland’s in [Craigieburn’s] Highlands estate,” he said.
“We’re calling on the community to report illegally dumped waste and provide photos, vehicle details, item descriptions, and time and place to help council catch and prosecute offenders.”
Mr Waite said reports of dumped rubbish had increased by 32 per cent compared to the same time last year, and of those reports, there has been a 20 per cent increase in evidence provided to council to help it prosecute offenders.
He said a series of educational messages about free waste disposal is being rolled out over the next six weeks, and that the overall campaign is the council’s way of “taking action”.
“It costs ratepayers $2.8 million each year to clean up dumped waste in our community,” Mr Waite said.
“The majority of what’s picked up is household items that can be disposed of through council’s free hard waste entitlements to residents, which include two free at-home hard waste collections, and two free tip passes each year.”
Earlier this month, Cr Jack Medcraft called on council to write to VicRoads to patrol Somerton Road, Craigieburn Road West and Sunbury Road, and clean up any dumped rubbish.
“Those roads are an absolute disgrace,” Cr Medcraft said.
“We need them [VicRoads] to stand up to the plate and do the job that they’ve taken over from us.”
Mayor Joseph Haweil said: “We want the dumped fridges and couches on Somerton road removed today, and we want it monitored.
“My suggestion would be, when we write to them that if they can’t do the job, then they can contract council to do it because I’m sure we do it a hell of a lot better than they are doing it.”
