Community slams ‘careless’ donors as mountains of trash dumped at Salvos store
For more than two years, a Bentleigh East Salvos store front has been turned into a chaotic dumping ground by careless donors and late-night rummagers. But despite upgrading security, locals say the mess is worse than ever.
Inner South
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A Salvos store front has been turned into a large chaotic dumping ground by careless donors and late-night rummagers.
Infuriated residents and shop owners say they are “sick to death” of the mess created by the “never-ending” trash outside the Salvation Army store on Centre Rd, East Bentleigh.
Saki Souvlaki owner Anna Karakostas said the “unusable” donations had been piling up constantly for more than two years, with boogie boards, grocery bags, office chairs, lights, toys and ripped clothes often sprawling across to her shop front.
She said her desperate calls to Glen Eira Council had gone unanswered as the "junkies" visit outside council office hours on Friday and Saturday nights.
“It’s a disgusting mess … the sun goes down and the ferals come in (and go through the donations),”she told the Leader.
“Customers come in and it’s straight away a talking point. This would never be allowed to happen in the more salubrious areas of Glen Eira … this has turned into the dumpster end of East Bentleigh.”
Ms Karakostas said large dumpster bins outside the op-shop encouraged people to litter.
“It’s not the Salvation Army’s fault … but council doesn’t do anything because the volunteers have already cleaned the mess by Monday afternoon,” she said.
“I shouldn’t have to deal with this on Friday and Saturday nights, my busiest nights.”
But Glen Eira Council planning and place director Ron Torres said the council had worked with the store to prevent dumping with periodic monitoring of the area and encouraged them to get CCTV cameras, which were recently installed.
“We work with charitable organisations to ensure that they put all appropriate measures in place to prevent impact from public donations on amenity,” he told the Leader.
“These include providing anti-dumping signage and organising to clear any donations dumped outside of business hours.”
Salvos volunteers had their work cut out for them on Tuesday last week after piles of strewn bags of clothes and toys — which had been ripped apart by rummagers — again mounted over the long weekend.
Mother of two Katie Frazer told the Leader she saw “crap everywhere” as she walked to an appointment nearby.
“I was disgusted … I’ve seen stuff left there before it’s never been that bad,” she said.
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Salvation Army spokesman Steve Speziale said the group asked people to back up their goodwill gesture by donating during store opening hours when stores could “deal with items appropriately and there is no wastage, spoilage or kerbside issues”.
Littering in Glen Eira carries a $2000 fine.
Staff at the op-shop declined to comment.