Coast suburbs with worst illegal dumping problem revealed

A new report reveals the extraordinary cost of cleaning up rubbish dumped illegally on Gold Coast streets, with a few areas copping the worst of the problem.

Gold Coasters are becoming a filthy lot when it comes to rubbish — and it’s costing ratepayers millions of dollars.

A new council report reveals city spending on littering and illegal dumping has increased by more than 20 per cent, costing ratepayers almost $7 million a year.

Rubbish including couches, broken glass, pieces of wood and broken furniture dumped at Kumbari Street in Southport.

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In the past two years the cleaning budget has increased by 45 per cent.

“Cleaning budgets on both land and in waterways are increasing, as more operational resources are needed as the city expands and become more urbanised,” the officer’s report said.

The cost to ratepayers from litter and illegal dumping was just more than $5 million in 2013, but it has continued to spike since 2014-15.

A five-year plan to be introduced by council recognises the dumping hot spots and most common litter.

Thousands of tyres have been dumped across the northern Gold Coast.

About 328 tonnes of litter was found in 2017-18, a large chunk of it being cigarette butts, takeaway packaging, chewing gum and beverage containers in the tourist centres.

But officers are likely to find larger amounts of illegal waste in the hinterland like tyres, construction material along with unwanted household items including furniture and fridges.

“The existence of large areas of undeveloped bushland and farm land in close proximity to greenfields development and major arterial roads create tempting conditions for regional illegal dumping,” the report said.

A couch has been dumped at the Spit. Picture by Scott Fletcher.

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The worst areas for illegal dumping are Southport (567 incidents in 2017-18), Surfers Paradise (554), Labrador (481) and Coolangatta (139).

The council plan is to increase monitoring around 20 hot spots, focusing on areas like Peninsular Drive and Watson Esplanade in Surfers Paradise, Central Street at Labrador, the Gold Coast Highway at Palm Beach and Queen Street in Southport.

Southport-based councillor Dawn Crichlow who for decades has fought to reduce litter in the CBD said the solution was more CCTV cameras but it was costly.

A security camera on Pohlman Street at Southport to catch illegal rubbish dumpers.

“I’ve put cameras in Pohlman Street. It’s one of the worst areas there off Tweed Street. People are dumping households full of material. It’s shocking,” Cr Crichlow said.

Most of the material like old mattresses could not be used by second-hand stores or charity services, she said.

“People go out at night and just dump the stuff. I’ve known landlords to take the stuff out of the apartments when their tenant has done a runner and just leave it.”

Hinterland-based councillor Glenn Tozer said CCTV cameras have been an effective tool in reducing illegal dumping.

“The reality is we don’t have an inordinate amount of dumping but we do have problem areas,” he said.

“There are some covert CCTVs in a number of locations in the hinterland that have captured offenders and resulted in prosecutions.”

Cr Tozer said it was difficult to understand why illegal dumping was increasing when council tips were free for householders. Most hinterland residents were community minded, he said.

“When offenders are caught, they are prosecuted and that seems to reduce the number of incidents,” Cr Tozer said.