Sick Of Rubbish

Diggers Rest is sick of piles of litter being dumped around town that makes us look trashy.

The illegal activity occurred mostly at night. Illegal rubbish dumping within the municipality is costing the council hundreds of thousands of dollars in clean-up bills. In the 2009-10 financial year, 869 tonnes of illegally dumped litter was collected in Melton Shire. The cost to ratepayers of disposing of this litter was over $280,000. Melton Council provides hard waste recycling and reuse collection service and will pick up one collection of up to three cubic metres of hard waste at any time throughout the year using the voucher contained in their rates notice.

Both the Melton Council and Environment Protection Authority have urged residents to ‘‘dob in’’ illegal dumpers. Fines can range from $1200 for an individual and $6000 for a company up to $250,000 if the matter goes to court.

The owner of the Diggers Rest Hotel has even offered awards to anyone who will take photographs of dumpers who are costing him disposal fees.

So why do people dump rubbish around Diggers Rest? Are they just lazy or are there more reasons?

1. Cost of Melton recycle centre fees. The fees are complex and hardly encouraging.

Loads	Cost
Car or station wagon	$20
Utility/Small trailer (water level)	$30
Small trailer (heaped load)	$50
Small trailer (high sides)	$65
Large trailer (tandem)	$50
Large trailer (tandem) - heaped load	$75
Large trailer (tandem) - high sides	$100
Mattresses (per piece; e.g. a top and base = 2 pieces)	$25
Bulk rubbish	$80
Rock/rubble	$80
Tyres (per tyre)
Car tyres	$10
Car tyres (with rims)	$12
Light truck tyres	$15
Light truck and 4WD tyre (with rims)	$17
Truck to 1100mm	$30

* Sunbury Landfill Recycling is more expensive

2. The distance to travel to Melton, typically over 20 minutes.

3. Lastly, it is easy to hide the crime because there are a lot of isolated roads where there are no eye witnesses at night.

Interestingly, most illegal dumpers dob themselves in by leaving cards, etc with their names on. Well nobody ever said that criminals have to be smart.

Posted in: Environment