Tyres, shopping trolleys and bikes are being dumped into Kororoit and Stony creeks in Brimbank.
Staff from Melbourne Water collected almost 170 cubic metres of litter and debris from Brimbank waterways in the 12 months to June 30 last year.
Melbourne Water west region acting waterways manager Ben English said the water authority’s crew routinely collected litter and hard rubbish from creeks and lakes in Brimbank, but he singled out Kororoit and Stony creeks as being among the most polluted.
“It’s disappointing to see any rubbish dumped in and around the Brimbank area,” he said. “Litter and pollution are a big threat to our waterways and the plants and animals that live there. They affect water quality, decrease oxygen levels in the water, stifle plant life and create physical traps for animals and birds.”
Melbourne Water waterways general manager Gavan O’Neill said some Melburnians were using their waterways as dumping grounds.
He said that in the past year, staff had retrieved shopping trolleys, tennis balls, car tyres, cars, motorbikes, washing machines, furniture, bicycles, televisions and toys.
“A key priority for Melbourne Water is to protect and enhance our rivers and creeks, and it’s a difficult job when there’s so much needless dumping of unwanted items,” he said.
The water authority is urging anyone who witnesses illegal rubbish dumping to report it on 1300 EPA VIC.
The illegal dumping of contaminated fill material – tyres, and manufacturing, construction and demolition waste – is an indictable offence and can attract a maximum court penalty of $610,700 or seven years’ jail.
