By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
A GREATER Dandenong Council surveillance operation has put a dent in rubbish dumping at a Springvale charity store.
Council patrols during the Easter weekend had found “significantly lower levels of dumping” than last year, Greater Dandenong city planning, design and amenity director Jody Bosman said.
Last September, the council caught 10 rubbish dumpers and scavengers outside the store. On the Easter weekend, no fines were handed out.
Dumping had cost the store $30,000 a year to dispose of the rubbish.
It often included household waste, builders’ rubbish, damaged couches, soiled mattresses and broken appliances.
Mr Bosman said “no dumping” signs installed at the site during Easter were having a positive impact.
“On the basis of that success, the council is ordering more signage for both that site and other locations, such as Dandenong.”
He said the council would form alliances with other charity stores, taking advantage of a $500,000 state government pilot program for op-shop CCTV, signs, sensor lighting and fencing.
Among the 38 stores to get the funding — revealed by the Journal last September — were a Vinnies store and a Salvos store in Lonsdale Street, Dandenong.
Environment Minister Ryan Smith said the program would help charities stop illegal dumping, which cost them about $1.8 million a year.
“Too often old TVs, couches, mattresses and other unusable, unwanted goods are dumped outside or adjacent to charity stores,” Mr Smith said. “Many of these goods can’t be resold and must be sent to landfill, costing charities and the community money and time.”
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