Environmentalists furious over scourge of illegal rubbish dumping across Frankston City
Piles of rubbish strewn along the Nepean Highway last week are just a snapshot of a citywide scourge, environmentalists say.
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Piles of rubbish strewn along the Nepean Highway last week are just a snapshot of a citywide scourge, environmentalists say.
The Frankston Leader photographed discarded sofas, mattresses, bed parts and other household waste piled on the side of the road.
Some of the dumps had already been tagged by the council as illegal and under investigation.
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Frankston Environmental Friends Network chair David Cross said the culprits were targeting reserves and roadsides, as well as parts of the Stony Point rail line.
“We need residents to toe the line and do the right thing. It’s a scourge across Frankston City,” Mr Cross said.
Frankston City Council received 2861 reports of illegally dumped rubbish last year — costing about $2 million to clean up.
Mayor Michael O’Reilly said litter hot spots included multi-unit developments, rural roads and industrial areas with the most common dumped items being household hard waste.
“Council uses surveillance cameras in remote locations and a dedicated investigation unit to follow up all reports of illegally dumped rubbish,” he said.
“Council understands that dumped litter is frustrating for residents who do the right thing.”
Cr O’Reilly said 143 infringements were issued in 2018 — equating to $99,553 fines being issued.
Mr Cross warned dumped rubbish was not only an eyesore, but also posed health risks with some materials leaching into the soil and waterways.
A Leader investigation in 2015 found that parts of the of the Carrum Downs industrial estate had become a mecca for illegal rubbish dumping.
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