By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Chesterfield-style couch, mattress, suitcases and furniture have formed part of an illegal dumping site in central Springvale.
The pile – one of multitudes in Greater Dandenong – has grown over several days on Queens Avenue opposite Buckingham Avenue.
After being alerted on Monday 8 March, Greater Dandenong Council reported the mess to VicTrack, which owns the site adjoining the city-bound railway line.
The eye-sore shocked councillor Richard Lim, who has publicly pledged to beautify Springvale as a tourist attraction.
“It’s a very bad image for Springvale, and very widespread.”
It’s one of many garbage mounds piled up on roadsides, nature strips, creeks and fields in suburbs and rural parts of Greater Dandenong found by Star Journal photographer Gary Sissons on 10 March.
And it costs what the council has previously estimated as $450,000 a year for clean-ups.
The council did not respond to Star Journal’s questions about the quantities and annual cost of cleaning up illegal rubbish, or the numbers of people fined.
In a recent year, it investigated more than 3800 complaints and collecting 900 tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish on public land.
Councillor Jim Memeti said dumping had plagued Greater Dandenong. A particular dumping zone were nature strips in front of blocks of units.
“I can’t understand why. We offer a free service to come and pick up hard rubbish.
“They don’t even bother to notify the council.”
He said the council cleaned up dumping sites very quickly, when reported by the public.
Its investigations had also uncovered culprits – leading to fines of more than $6000 and court prosecutions.
“You think you’ve saving money but if you’re caught, it’s an expensive exercise for you.”
Resident Gaye Guest regularly reports the scourge of unsightly rubbish piles to the council for collection.
Sometimes, a pile starts with a single item is left out on the nature strip, and then other dumpers pile-on with their discarded couches, mattresses and other rubbish, she says.
In some cases, dumpers were avoiding disposal fees at landfills.
“The tip fees are so high so people aren’t sending so much for landfill. But instead some are driving out to a quiet spot and dumping it.
“We’ve got so many enlightened people now so I don’t know why we’ve got this problem.
“We’ve got to be better than that.”
People could act “smarter” by buying less and donating unwanted items to charity stores and collections, she said.
Greater Dandenong city amenity director Jody Bosman said any items left – without council approval – on a footpath, nature strip or in front of charity stores were classed as illegal dumping.
Prevention measures include a Hotspots program to monitor sites with recurring trash.
Illegal dumping can be reported on the council’s website, Snap Send Solve app or to its customer service centres.
“If you see dumped rubbish or someone dumping unwanted items within Greater Dandenong, it is important to provide as much information as possible, including items that have been dumped, location, date and time, and vehicle registration and description.”
Mr Bosman said residents should follow the five R’s in disposing items – refuse, reduce, re-use, repurpose and recycle.
“If items cannot be disposed using the five R’s, residents can book a hard waste collection or visit a waste transfer station.”
