Outer Melbourne Councils back state crackdown on illegal dumping

The Outer Melbourne Councils (OMC) alliance welcomes the state government’s move to fund and establish a new taskforce targeting illegal waste dumping – a key issue OMC highlighted recently as part of this year’s OMC Week events across the region. 
 
OMC spokesperson and Mayor of Hume City Council Cr Jarrod Bell said that Outer Melbourne Councils are particularly impacted by this illegal activity. “When offenders want to dump rubbish, they don’t head to well-lit busy inner-city streets,” he said”

“They drive out to our quiet outer suburban back roads and open spaces and dump their rubbish in our communities,” he said.

“This results in an enormous cost burden our communities are forced to deal with.”

“Five of our Councils alone spent more than a combined $18 million over the past three years cleaning up illegally dumped rubbish.”

“This diverts resources from essential community services like libraries and maternal and child health care, or from providing rate relief to our residents and businesses.”

“We’re ready to … share intel, target hotspots, and push for stronger resourcing and cost recovery measures.”

Cr Bell said that the Victorian Government providing funding to help offset some of the costs of cleaning up is a welcome first step, as is the establishment of the Illegal Dumping Taskforce.

“Councils are on the frontline of illegal dumping — we deal with the mess, the cost, and the community frustration. We’re a key partner in cracking down on this growing issue,” he said.

“We’re ready to work closely with Minister Dimopoulos and the Illegal Dumping Taskforce to share intel, target hotspots, and push for stronger resourcing and cost recovery measures.”