Illegal dumpers are at it again. Members of the public and patrolling rangers are finding piles of rubbish at several sites across Eurobodalla, despite severe penalties for those found trashing the shire.
Ranger Aaron Wickham said he was disappointed people in the community find illegal dumping acceptable.
“Just days after The Ridge Road at Malua Bay reopened after the fires, several dump sites appeared there,” he said.
“Investigating and cleaning up waste are additional costs our community just doesn’t need at this time.
“The bush is coming back to life after the fire and people are again venturing outdoors. It would be such a shame to see our bush covered in rubbish at a time like this.”
Rangers will be stepping up patrols at hot-spots to reduce the amount of rubbish being illegally offloaded.
Mr Wickham said there were $2000 on-the-spot fines for individuals found dumping, with higher penalties for businesses, and possible jail time for repeat offenders.
“Rangers can patrol anywhere at any time,” he said.
“We’ll also be using covert surveillance to help tackle the problem. We encourage the public to report incidents of illegal dumping, either directly to Council on 4474 1000 or using the Environmental Protection Agency hotline on 131 555.
For more information on Council’s waste services you can visit www.esc.nsw.gov.au/waste
Above: Illegal dumping can attract on-the-spot fine of $2000, with possible jail terms for repeat offenders.
