By JASON TURNER
A GROUP of Noble Park charity shops is disgruntled by Greater Dandenong Council’s reluctance to help clean up the regular havoc created by illegal dumping.
The Ermha and St Aidan’s opportunity shops have struggled to clear rubbish left by people scavenging out-of-hours donations but said the council had been reluctant to clean it up.
Staff at Ermha’s Buckley Street store — which raises money for the not-for-profit mental health care organisation — regularly arrive on Monday mornings to find donated items blocking footpaths, and other mess littering the car park.
Ermha op shop team leader Rhonda Okey said the mess was particularly bad after the Christmas break.
“It’s a massive problem,” Mrs Okey said. “After Boxing Day we found things spread all over the car park.”
Some of the so-called donations had included soiled mattresses and old X-rays. “The council will follow it up [if volunteers catch someone in the act] but we have to be prepared to go to court.”
St Aidan’s, a smaller op shop nearby, has had similar problems. Co-ordinator John Workman said staff had difficulty handling the rubbish.”No way in the world they’re donations.”
Disposing of piles of rubbish can also be costly and eat into charity budgets.
The council’s city planning, design and amenity acting director Peter Shelton said it was not financially viable for the council to clean up the mess created by illegal dumping.
“Any material dumped at charity stores becomes the responsibility of that charity store. It is matter for the individual charity as to whether they retain or dispose of the material.”
The opportunity shops have erected signs warning against illegal dumping. People can receive a maximum penalty of $5000 for the offence.
Mr Shelton said a trial of closed circuit cameras, council patrols and enforcement had helped to curb the issue at a Springvale opportunity shop.
Last week, the state government announced that selected councils, including Greater Dandenong, would get a share of $300,000 for signs, cameras and other measures aimed at preventing the problem.
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