Council crews are working tirelessly to clean up after illegal dumpers, but the frustration is mounting as organised offenders continue to target our city and leave ratepayers footing the bill.
City Works duo Maycee and Josh are among the roadside maintenance crews fed up with tackling the problem daily.
City Works roadside maintenance officer Josh
We clean it up and then there's more there tomorrow – it's out of hand.Sometimes it might be furniture and mattresses, but then other times it can be really nasty like needles, dirty nappies, there's even been bottles of urine. It's been really disgusting.
They've gone out of their way to dump their rubbish and we're cleaning it up. When it's really dirty, like needles, it feels kind of like an attack.
In 2024-25, the City received 6,619 requests to remove dumped rubbish. Already this financial year, more than 3,000 requests have been lodged. The number of requests has increased year-on-year since 2021, and the City's clean-up efforts have cost ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
Recently, City officers acted quickly to remove a significant quantity of illegally dumped commercial rubbish along Beach Road in Avalon that blocked critical private access to a local farm. Investigations are ongoing, and offenders face hefty fines.
Illegal dumping is a growing problem across Victoria and a considerable expense to councils each year. In October, the Victorian Government announced $8.5 million to assist with clean-up costs.
Community vigilance and reporting are vital to stopping dumpers in their tracks and saving ratepayers from exorbitant clean-up costs.
Greater Geelong residents are urged to report dumped rubbish to the City by calling 5272 5272, completing the online form , or emailing [email protected]. Reports trigger a Community Safety and Regulation investigation, while crews like Maycee and Josh also proactively identify and remove dumped rubbish.
Where evidence is available, enforcement action is taken – vehicle owners caught on CCTV or in photos can be fined, and identifying material in rubbish may lead to a Waste Information Gathering Notice issued.
Littering infringements are up to $2,035 and failing to respond to a notice incurs a $407 fine. Hazardous or contaminated materials, such as asbestos, are referred to EPA Victoria, who share the responsibility with councils. Residents can also report incidents directly to EPA Victoria online or via their 24-hour pollution hotline on 1300 372 842.
Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM
Infuriating is an understatement – illegal dumping is a despicable act.These people are spoiling the environment for everyone and it costs an absolute fortune to go and pick up after them.
By working together, we send a clear message that dumping will not be tolerated.
You Yangs Ward Councillor and Safety, Graffiti & Regulation portfolio chair Chris Burson
If you see rubbish dumping, take a photo, record a license plate, and please let us know.Illegal waste dumping is unsightly, dangerous, and a waste of Council resources and ratepayer money.
We need the community's help to hold these illegal dumpers accountable and keep our city safe and clean.
Josh has been a part of the maintenance team for three years and said his predecessors had less dumped rubbish reports and more time to work on their usual maintenance tasks.
Last month Maycee and Josh cleaned up hazardous materials brazenly dumped near a school.
These acts of illegal dumping are a burden on City crews and take Josh and Maycee away from their usual community maintenance tasks.
City Works roadside maintenance officer Josh
They rarely used to pick up dumped rubbish – maybe a couple of times a week. Now, we spend almost half our workday dealing with it.They dumped it in the middle of the road, just three houses up from the school.
We had to get that straight away and had to get the backhoe out [to collect the load], which takes time away from doing our maintenance work.
It would've been a big-sized trailer of rubbish, and it was broken glass and nails.
We could have been fixing signs and making a lot of things safer.
Maycee was inspired to join the City Works roadside maintenance team 18 months ago to improve the region and make Greater Geelong a safer place.
City Works roadside maintenance officer Maycee
I was working in an apprenticeship for the City doing civil construction and then I moved into this role where I go out on the trucks and fix things for the community.We make sure the community is safe, everything is in order, and nothing's damaged.
If we didn't do this job the roads would be a lot dirtier and more dangerous. It takes a lot of work to fix things.
I'm not sure if people realise, but you get two free hard waste bookings and two free mattress collections every year. All you have to do is go online, fill in your details, and they will come and pick it up for free.
Maycee's favourite thing about her job is the satisfaction of helping a member of the community.
Making sure that everything is safe for the community is when we see our work make a real difference.I want to live where it's a safe space for my son to grow up, taking him to all of the parks around the city, the beaches, and enjoying the scenery.
Book a hard waste or mattress collection online.
