9 August 2019
Mornington Peninsula Shire is continuing its zero-tolerance approach to illegally dumped rubbish, successfully prosecuting 11 offenders in the last seven months, resulting in more than $11,000 worth of penalties.
10 cases of aggravated littering and one local law offence have been taken to court, resulting in $11,459 in penalties as well as $2,313 recovered by Council to help pay for clean-up and statutory costs.
Among those prosecuted were two tree loppers and five Mornington Peninsula businesses.
The Shire's Environment Protection Unit has increased efforts to deter and penalise rubbish dumping on the Peninsula in a variety of ways, including:
- Patrolling of dumping hot spots
- CCTV and covert cameras installed across the Shire
- Installation of gates, fences and bollards to prevent access to parks and reserves
- Investigation of all dumping incidents and prosecuting Letterbox drops calling for community information around locations of dumped waste
- Rollout of its Dob in a Dumper campaign to raise awareness of the available legal disposal methods
Illegal dumping is a crime and can incur on the spot fines. Council will investigate all reported cases and prosecute dumpers with penalties of up to $9,500.
Shire Mayor Councillor David Gill said dumped waste poses a serious threat to our wildlife and can lead to contamination of land, waterways and groundwater.
"It's not hard to do the right thing with a long list of items able to be disposed of for little or no cost at our Resource Recovery Centres, or use the waste vouchers on your rates notice to book a kerbside collection.
"The recent disruption to the recycling industry is yet another reminder of how crucial it is we all make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of waste we produce and dispose of rubbish and recycling in the correct ways.
"Council spends more than $700,000 per year cleaning up the mess left behind by illegally dumped waste, collecting 4,518 cases of illegal dumping in the past twelve months.
"Hardworking ratepayer's money could be put to much better use in our community", concluded Cr Gill.
The most commonly dumped items on the Peninsula are:
Mulch
Green waste
Hard waste (furniture and miscellaneous items)
Tyres
Free items you can drop off at the Resource Recovery centres include: household recyclables; steel goods (excluding fridges and air conditioners); bikes; computers; televisions; paint (up to 100L); gas cylinders (up to 9kg); motor oil (up to 20L); fluorescent globes and tubes and batteries.
Green waste can be taken to the Resource Recovery Centres using the waste vouchers or disposed of through the Shire's No Charge Green Waste events, held twice per year.
For a full list of items you can dispose of for free, visit: mornpen.vic.gov.au/wasteguide
Peninsula households can also book a kerbside waste collection service for both green and hard waste by calling 5950 1406.
Everyone can support Council's efforts to protect the environment and to keep the Peninsula clean by reporting dumpers at mornpen.vic.gov.au/dobinadumper or by calling 1300 850 600 or 5950 1000.
PHOTO CAPTION: Mornington Peninsula Shire's Community Safety Officer Travis Finlayson, Shire Mayor David Gill and Solo driver Stuart MacDonald outside Dromana Magistrates Court.
