Whittlesea council said it is sending a clear message to anyone thinking about illegally dumping rubbish in the community.
Mayor Lawrie Cox said illegal dumping will not be tolerated.
“We are actively monitoring and tracking offenders, and those caught will face real financial and legal consequences,” Cr Cox said.
Council said it is encouraged by the state government’s recent $21.5 million investment towards the state’s illegal dumping taskforce.
“We look forward to the release of further details on how the funding will be rolled out,” the council said.
Council outlined three cases of illegal rubbish dumping across the municipality, the largest total of fines for one person was $3555 after illegally dumping rubbish at three sites across Wollert.
Cr Cox said these recent cases demonstrate the impact of strong enforcement, but there is more work to do.
“We hope [the state government funding] will help us expand inspections, enforcement and clean-ups, while reducing the cost burden on our community,” he said.
Between July and October 2025, council said it investigated 681 reports of dumped rubbish, and issued 80 infringements totalling over $100,000 in fines.
In the year before May 2025, council said they completed 10 prosecutions which totalled an additional $22,000 in fines.
“Planning ahead to dispose of waste responsibly is free and together, we can keep our streets and public spaces clean,” Cr said.
“We know our community takes pride in where they live, and we encourage everyone to do their part.”
Dumped rubbish can be reported at whittlesea.vic.gov.au/litter, or by calling 9217 2170.
