By Laura Michell and Jessica Micallef
Forty cubic metres of waste have been removed from a site in Craigieburn, with Hume council set to fine 17 people over the “unsightly” rubbish pile.
Council removed the mountain of rubbish from Highlander Drive last Thursday following public complaints.
The waste pile included cardboard boxes, old mattresses, bikes, prams and bags of rubbish.
Mayor Joseph Haweil said the council received six complaints about the pile of waste and had enough information to carry out investigations and fine 17 people.
The council said it will install surveillance at the site, as well as other dumping hot spots across Hume.
A pilot campaign will also be launched in Craigieburn in the coming weeks to educate residents about the council’s free waste removal options, including two hard waste collections and two tip passes each year.
“We know our community is fed up with this rubbish, and so are we. It costs ratepayers $2.8 million each year, damages our environment, frustrates our residents and undermines our property values,” Cr Haweil said.
“Our message is clear – our streets are not your tip.”
It comes as deputy mayor Jack Medcraft called on the Hume community to “dump in the dumper” in a bid to combat an “unprecedented level” of illegal waste across the municipality
Cr Medcraft said the council needed to upgrade covert surveillance cameras to the “latest technology” to help “dump in a dumper”.
He said photographs picked up from the surveillance cameras would be circulated online to assist in identifying alleged illegal dumpers.
“I want to name and shame,” he said.
The council will look into replacing covert surveillance cameras with the “latest technology” for $40,000 from the council’s 2020-21 Waste and Resource Recovery Operating Budget.
