Belonging to the top of this list is not something that any suburb aspire to, but Inala is one of the top five suburbs for illegal dumping in Brisbane.
According to Brisbane City Council, they have received more than 970 reports of illegal dumping in the past year financial year. Apart from Inala, Council has identified Runcorn, Forest Lake, Coorparoo, and Kuraby with the most incidents of rubbishing.
BCC is now serious in catching and penalising people who are dumping their waste illegally. In fact, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said that they are keeping a watchful eye on 150 identified illegal dumping hotspots across Brisbane.
“Council is passionate about keeping our city clean, green and sustainable, and provides a range of services to help residents dispose of their waste responsibly, so there is absolutely no excuse for this disgraceful behaviour,” Cr Quirk said.
“Illegal dumping costs ratepayers around $800,000 each year to clean up – money that can’t be invested back into the community through grants, services or facilities,” he added.
Crack Down on Illegal Dumpers
Currently, illegal dumping occurs weekly in more than 40 hotspots across Brisbane. To help put a stop in the act, Council is currently using surveillance cameras to catch offenders. They have installed close to 100 camouflage CCTV cameras across the identified illegal dumping hotspots in Brisbane.
The covert surveillance cameras seemed to be working as the Council was able to catch 36 dumpers just last year.
Take note that illegal dumpers may get a fine of up to $2,600 and even $130,000 for serious offenders.
Reporting Illegal Dumpers
Apart from the surveillance cameras, BCC is hoping that the community will help fight illegal dumping in the city. Locals who catch illegal dumpers in the act may report them to the Council online or call 07 3403 8888.
Whilst reporting such acts is the right thing to do, it is also important to keep yourself safe by doing the following:
- Avoid approaching the vehicle or individuals who are illegally dumping.
- Do not let the illegal dumpers know you are there.
- Do not touch the illegally dumped material.
Avoid dumping illegally and dispose your rubbish properly with the help of Council’s Brisbane Bin and Recycling app. The free app provides helpful recycling tips and keeps you updated with the collection schedule in your area.