Five individuals have been fined nearly $10,000 in total for illegally dumping at Undoolya in Alice Springs.
'Operation: Don't Be A Dumper' pilot program in Alice Springs is delivering real results through surveillance, collaboration, and on-the-ground action.
Penalties include on the spot fines of $1,948 for individuals or $9,450 for businesses, and in cases that go to court, penalties include up to 5 years in prison for individuals or fines of more than $3.6 million for businesses.
The Finocchiaro CLP Government continues to take strong action on illegal dumping, with a total of $9,740 in fines issued to five individuals for unlawfully disposing of-waste on Crown Land.
Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment Joshua Burgoyne said these penalties were a stark reminder that offenders would be held accountable and illegal dumping would not be tolerated.
"These are 5 individuals who would have previously gone unnoticed. Our government is making it clear: illegal dumping is a crime with serious consequences," said Mr Burgoyne.
"Illegal dumping is incredibly disrespectful, harms our environment, and places an unfair burden on taxpayers with local contractors left to clean up the mess, costing well in excess of $100,000 each year across the NT.
"During our year of growth, certainty and security, we will continue this momentum to ensure those who do the wrong thing are caught and fined.
The fines, which were issued between December 2025 and February 2026, followed investigations through Operation: Don't Be A Dumper here (DBAD), the NT's first coordinated cross-agency initiative to tackle illegal dumping launched by the CLP Government in November 2024 following increased reports of illegal dumping in Alice Springs.
DBAD uses frequent patrols, drone mapping, and surveillance cameras in illegal dumping 'hotspots' to detect and deter offenders - enabling a swift, targeted response to incidents.
The program has seen real results, including illegal dumping hotspots Ellery Drive and Lovegrove Drive remaining clear from waste throughout 2025.
Alice Springs Residents and DBAD members removed more than 2.2 tonnes of waste from Ellery Drive during a community clean-up day in March 2025, and installed gates and boulders to restrict vehicle access.
"The cameras have also captured the positive efforts of community members helping to clean up illegally dumped waste - we thank those individuals for their efforts, along with everyone who has reported illegal dumping," said Mr Burgoyne.
Another Community Clean-Up Day is scheduled for May 17, 2026, from 7:30am-10:30am on Undoolya Road, approximately 2.5km from town on the right.
To report illegal dumping, call 1800 064 567, email [[email protected]] or submit a report here on the NT EPA website.
