By Prealene Khera
Brimbank council will crack down on the “serious and growing problem” of illegal rubbish dumping in the area, with the development of a comprehensive waste-focused plan in the works.
Declaring it as an “urgent priority”, council will deliver an action plan to tackle the issue and put a lid on the on-going dumping saga plaguing residents.
Tighter controls, stronger deterrents and tougher enforcement measures will form part of the council’s new undertaking to keep “Brimbank clean and beautiful”.
Council said it will also run community-wide information and education programs, to make it easier for everyone to dispose of waste responsibly and to report illegal dumping.
Mayor Thuy Dang said the community was “frustrated” as the issue continues to pile up.
“It’s illegal, it’s ugly, it’s hurting our environment – and it costs council and ratepayers to clean it up,” she said.
“Keeping our streets clean is a whole community effort, and we are grateful to everyone who does the right thing and disposes of waste responsibly.”
The announcement of the draft an anti-dumping plan follows two questions raised by Lachlan Mackay at a recent council meeting.
Mr Mackay inquired whether Brimbank had a comprehensive education program on responsibly recycling and disposing of rubbish in place, pointing to the “alarming amount of litter on the side of roads, in parks, in carparks, around public buildings, and around private properties”.
His questions also delved into the possibility of issuing heftier fines for littering and irresponsible disposal of rubbish.
In responding to those queries, Cr Dang said council was continuing to explore ways to tackle the problem.
She added that infringements for rubbish dumping and littering offences are issued under the Environment Protection Act 2017, which is state legislation.
“The act includes penalty amounts applicable to various offences. These amounts are set by the Victorian government and are unable to be increased by council,” Cr Dang said.
“For large-scale dumping, council can also prosecute offenders through the magistrate’s court, and has done so on multiple occasions.”
