TONNES of rubbish have been illegally dumped in Mount Disappointment State Forest over the past few months – almost double the amount that forest management crews have found previously.
The Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action, DEECA, across the Hume region, last month reported 20 additional tonnes removed in the span of a week.
Much of the rubbish dumped was household waste, garden waste and commercial building waste such as building materials and toxic asbestos, which Forest Fire Management Victoria’s forest management and roading officer Michael Rauris said caused pollution and threatened wildlife.
“Illegal dumping causes pollution, impacts our health, threatens wildlife and costs Victorians around $30 million a year to clean up,” he said.
Mr Rauris said dumped rubbish was an ‘ongoing issue’, and Forest Fire Management Victoria would continue to work closely with councils to minimise the impact to the environment.
“It is an expensive process to remove illegally dumped rubbish costing the department thousands each year in landfill fees, labour and machinery costs to remove and correctly dispose of the waste,” he said.
Illegal dumping can attract significant penalties, with infringements ranging from $363 to $1817 for individuals and $1817 to $9087 for businesses.
Mr Rauris advised people to report any illegal dumping, and said information about how to dispose of rubbish could be found through local councils.
“Authorised officers continue to patrol known hotspots and surveillance cameras will continue to be used where appropriate. If you see something, say something – report illegal rubbish dumping to DEECA on 136 186,” he said.
