Council set to move on all reports of dumping

479 cases lodged this year

TOWNSVILLE City Council and the Department of Environment and Science have devoted significant resources to overcome Townsville’s festering illegal dumping problem.

According to council, 479 reports of illegal dumping have been received this calendar year.

Of these, 54 investigations are under way and three penalty infringement notices have been issued.

Deputy Mayor Mark Molachino said illegal dumping was not only unacceptable and disappointing, but unnecessary.

“Townsville City Council invests considerable resources in keeping our city clean and tidy,” he said.

“Council provides weekly rubbish collection, fortnightly collection of recyclables and a kerbside collection scheme for hard rubbish,” Mr Molachino (inset) said.

It also operates five waste transfer stations (Stuart, Hervey Range, Toomulla, Bluewater and Magnetic Island) where there is no cost to dump green waste and recyclables.

“There is a small cost to dump other types of waste at these transfer stations, but it is a lot less than the fine for littering or illegally dumping rubbish.”

He said council also offered free dump days, the next of which is being held from October 22-25.

“Sadly, there are some in our community who think it’s acceptable to litter and illegally dump rubbish,” he said.

“Where it can, council takes action against these individuals through the issuing of fines or making them clean-up their mess,” he said.

“One of the tools utilised by council is mobile cameras which are deployed to illegal dumping hotspots. Intelligence provided by these cameras, as well as from members of the public, is used by council in investigating instances of illegal dumping.”

Council will continue to look at any and all options

available to stop people illegally dumping.

A Department of Environment and Science spokesman said they administered the Local Government Illegal Dumping Partnerships Program (the Partnerships Program), which has allocated $3.6m to 27 local governments to employ 31 dedicated illegal dumping compliance officers.

“The Partnerships Program has enabled Townsville City Council to employ two dedicated officers for 12 months to investigate and enforce illegal dumping offences,” the spokesman said.

“In the past year, 384 reports of illegal dumping were received and investigated by Townsville City Council, and approximately 395,000 litres of waste was removed from the environment.

“Statewide the Partnerships Program has resulted in the removal of more than 12 million litres, or over 50,000 wheelie bins, of illegally dumped waste from the environment.”

Penalty Infringement Notices for illegally dumping waste range from $2205 to $10,338, with the potential for much higher penalties for matters prosecuted in Court.

Members of the public can report littering and illegal dumping through LIDORS on the department’s website or by contacting TCC.