Mount Isa residents have vent their frustration on social media in regards to illegal dumping around town.
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Nicole Rousham posted a photo (above) to the Mount Isa Vent Page on March 16, when they came across rubbish on a dirt track near Ryan Road.
"Absolutely disgusting, how (explicit) hard is it to go to the dump mate," Ms Rousham said.
The photo was met with an outcry of residents who said illegal dumping occurred far to often.
Brett Peterson said "it is so disgusting, these sort of grubs are constantly driving down Duchess Road with trailers on or a Ute full of rubbish and dump it "Out Bush".
"It's not out bush it is someone's land, someone who pays rates for their property. You can only chase so many and then they tell you, 'mate it is only green waste'. No it's not, it is rubbish that they are thrown out on someone else's property."
Mount Isa City Council said in the 2019/2020 financial year, it spent $11,543 on clearing illegal dumping from parks, gardens, and public places.
"Since Council started its project to curb illegal dumping late last year (2020), the numbers have been in decline, as shown in the following data:
"It appears that there was an increase in reporting after the installation of the signage, which shows a positive response. If illegal dumping is reported immediately, Council is able to attend the site to gather evidence and ensure it is cleaned up promptly."
MICC encouraged locals to report any illegal dumping, to help reduce and reprimand offenders.
"A Council officer who is authorised under the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 will attend the reported location to perform a site investigation. The site investigation will determine the approximate quantity of rubbish and the type of rubbish, and will uncover any information that can be used to identify the alleged offender.
"Illegal dumping tape will be placed around the waste to identify that Council is aware of the dumping. If there is enough evidence to identify an alleged offender, enforcement is undertaken under the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011, i.e. Show Cause Notice or a Penalty Infringement Notice. The offender is required to clean up the site and provide receipts upon taking the waste to the landfill.
"If there is not enough evidence to identify the offender, Council will perform a clean-up of the site and the subsequent waste is categorised as illegal dumping when it's received at the landfill."
MICC said Council was deterring people from illegal dumping through the implementation of Illegal Dumping Hotspot project, as well as through enforcement strategies.
"The Illegal Dumping Hotspot project has involved the installation of 20 informative signs targeted at creating awareness and deterring people from illegally dumping at well-known locations. The next stage includes the installation of surveillance cameras at strategic locations.
"The new signage has helped to create more awareness of illegal dumping within the town, and also helps the community know that they are able to report illegal dumping to Council when they come across it."
Residents are encouraged to report illegal dumping through the Snap Send Solve app on their smartphone, or the Snap Send Solve website, to instantly alert Council to instances of illegal dumping.
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Samantha Campbell
Samantha Campbell (nee Walton) has worked for regional and rural publications across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. She is currently writing for the North Queensland Register based in North West Queensland. Email: samantha.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Samantha Campbell (nee Walton) has worked for regional and rural publications across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. She is currently writing for the North Queensland Register based in North West Queensland. Email: samantha.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au
