Dave Dudley of Tidy Up Townsville says stronger penalties and deterrents are needed

Waste dumpers should face harsher penalties and more patrols should be in place to prevent illegal dumping, according to a Townsville litter legend who has been working hard to clean up the city since 2019.

Dave Dudley, Tidy Up Townsville. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Waste dumpers should face harsher penalties and more patrols should be in place to prevent illegal dumping, according to a Townsville litter legend who has been working hard to clean up the city since 2019.

Dave Dudley, who runs Tidy Up Townsville says stronger deterrents are needed to stop illegal dumping before the fact.

Townsville’s Citizen of the Year in 2021, Mr Dudley runs a group with over 4000 members who gather regularly to clean up dump sites.

While he welcomes the State Government’s new initiatives announced by Environment Minister Andrew Powell last week, he says more can be done.

“The problem is massive and it’s not getting better,” Mr Dudley said.

“Anything that’s going forward has got to be good, [but] the council and government are reactive. We need to be proactive. We need regular patrols … The penalties for this stuff is totally inadequate.

“This is damage that lasts 1000 years.”

Dave Dudley, Tidy Up Townsville co-ordinator, under the Bohle River Bridge on Dalrymple Road. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Mr Dudley said he is finding more and more dump sites across Townsville, with a group cleaning up an area at Hervey Range on Mother’s Day.

“I counted around 60 tires and then when I did my reconnaissance we actually pulled 126,” he said.

“We had half a trailer full of rubbish. That’s an area that we had cleaned up three years ago and it remained relatively clean for three years, so the dumping is back.”

Statistics show the number of reports of littering and illegal dumping has increased by 26 per cent in the last six months across Queensland.

An illegal activity, fines for littering start at around $322 and range up $12,000 for those caught dumping large amounts of waste.

QPWS Senior Conservation Officer Craig Dunk with Thuringowa MP Natalie Marr, Environment Minister Andrew Powell and Mundingburra MP Janelle Poole at an illegal dump site in Townsville.

Mr Powell visited a common dump site in Townsville last week and announced the Crisafulli government has launched a new online reporting system called the Litter and Illegal Dumping Online Reporting System (LIDORS).

Also announced was a new Queensland Waste Strategy designed to “map a way forward” to increase rates of recycling and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

The $130 million Less Landfill, More Recycling Plan will see the government working with councils to come up with solutions to end illegal dumps and see more materials being recycled and reused.

Originally published as Dave Dudley of Tidy Up Townsville says stronger penalties and deterrents are needed