Illegal dumping, not in my backyard

Last month council was able to track down an offender who dumped a large amount of asbestos in Glenella thanks to an anonymous tip from the public.

The response came after council put the call out via Facebook for anyone with more information to come forward. The post attracted almost 100 reactions, 50 comments and 34 shares.

Mayor Greg Williamson said residents had shown a lot of pride in their region and it was evident that illegal dumping would not be tolerated.

“We want to ensure our backyard is kept beautiful for the people who live here and for the visitors who travel to our region.

“It’s always disappointing when we find rubbish illegally dumped across the region, especially when it’s something as dangerous as asbestos.

“However, it’s great seeing the community come together to help us track down the offender of this crime.”

Mayor Williamson said council had recently received a grant through the Local Government Illegal Dumping Partnerships Program to hire a full-time employee to track down illegal dumping offenders.

“Our illegal dumping technical officer is in the community investigating, responding to, and carrying out enforcement activities.

“The officer is targeting dumping hotspots and complex illegal dumping incidents and putting solutions into place to help reduce illegal dumping across the region.

“But we can’t be everywhere, so if you witness illegal dumping, please report it to council by calling 1300 MACKAY (622 529).

“Take down the date, time, location and vehicle details, where possible.”