Rubbish city: These Melbourne suburbs are done with being dumping grounds
Driving along Melton's highways, rural roads and streets of new housing estates, it's impossible not to notice them: the piles of old mattresses, tyres and random household or construction waste strewn across the outer-western municipality.
And the problem is costing the local council a mint. More than $3 million has been spent so far this financial year cleaning up more than 6000 tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish – enough to fill about 200 large garbage trucks.
The council has now spearheaded a push to call for state-led reform to crack down on a rising scourge of illegal dumping that disproportionately affects outer-metropolitan areas.
At a Municipal Association of Victoria meeting, the state's 79 councils unanimously voted for a resolution put forward by Melton council urging the Victorian government to develop a prevention and education plan to combat illegal dumping.
The motion, which was classified as a significant priority, also asks the government to divert money collected from the waste levy to help heavily impacted councils and increase resources for more enforcement by the Environment Protection Authority. Currently, policing is shared between councils and the environment authority.
MAV president Jennifer Anderson said illegal dumping had become a major issue that required a uniform statewide approach.
'The fact that the resolution was passed unanimously highlights that the local government sector appreciates the impact this has on councils where it is taking place,' she said.
Melton Mayor Steve Abboushi said local governments could not afford to keep working in silos – a lot of rubbish tossed in outer areas comes from outside these municipalities, with some cowboy operators choosing to dump illegally rather than pay tip fees.
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