Bags of rubbish dumped at Byards Rd wetlands
Onkaparinga Council won’t have too much trouble finding the person whose rubbish was dumped at Byards Rd wetlands – after a receipt was left among the trash.
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A receipt with a name and address was among bags of rubbish dumped at Byards Rd wetlands over the weekend.
Suitcases, plastic bags, electronics, rugs and hydroponic equipment was also found dumped at Reynella East.
Onkaparinga City Operations acting director Darryl Sowerby said the person’s details had been passed on to the council and it was now investigating.
“We know that almost all of our residents are doing the right thing but it’s disappointing there are some people who illegally dump their rubbish; it shows no regard for the environment and their local community,” Mr Sowerby said.
“The maximum fine for an offence involving the disposal of 50 litres or more of general litter is $30,000 or imprisonment for 6 months.
“The expiation fee amount is $1000.”
Labor MP for Hurtle Vale Nat Cook, who took to Facebook to express her disgust at the rubbish, said she would work with Onkaparinga Council on a plan to tackle illegal dumping.
She said the council should consider installing CCTV cameras in the wetlands as well as an education program.
And she warned that a recent increase in dumping fees by the State Government would likely worsen the problem.
“Onkaparinga needs to develop educational programs which teach the community about the delicate nature of our wetlands and the consequences of illegal dumping like this incident,” Ms Cook said.
“In recent months, we’ve seen our kids on the street fighting environmental and climate issues – perhaps the adults in our community destroying our environment could learn something from them.”
Anyone who witnesses illegal dumping should call the police and the local council.
