Pakenham Red Cross volunteers Chris Middleton and Hazel Lund are sick of people dumping unwanted goods next to their charity bins. By Melissa Grant
THE continual dumping of mattresses and other unwanted goods has a charity store seeing red.
Pakenham Red Cross volunteers say they are sick of people using their charity bins as a rubbish dump after a double bed mattress and bags of clothing were left strewn outside the back of their Main Street premises on Tuesday.
Pakenham store manager Sandra Moule said the charity shop had paid thousands in tip fees over the past 12 months and was sick of locals dumping items on footpaths near the charity bins in the Main Street rear carpark.
“Honestly, I’m at a loose end and the shop isn’t paying dumping fees to the tip any more,” Mrs Moule said.
“It’s happening almost every week; sometimes it’s less and sometimes it’s a lot more.
“We’re sick of cleaning it up and paying $50 and $60 to take the rubbish to the tip – we’re a charitable organisation.”
Mrs Moule said the charity bins clearly stated that the store didn’t accept mattresses, and that placing furniture or rubbish outside them was littering.
She said people often dumped items such as mattresses, televisions, computers and other items the store couldn’t accept.
Mrs Moule, who has worked at the Pakenham charity store for five years, said she was also frustrated that the Cardinia Shire Council had done little to address the problem in recent times.
“It’s not really their concern. We make the problem because we’re a charity shop,” she said.
“It’s just been put in the too-hard basket.”
But Cardinia Shire Council manager local laws Alan Giachin said it was a difficult issue as the bins unfortunately encouraged people to dump unwanted goods there.
“The dumping generally occurs after hours and often after long weekends, and the people who dump the items use the excuse that the things they leave behind are of some value,” he said.
“The items left at the rear of the Red Cross store most recently were large black garbage bags full of clothing.”
Mr Giachin said the council would encourage Red Cross to consider removal or relocation of the bin, as it gave people an excuse to dump unwanted goods there.
“I will be asking them to remove the bin if they are not prepared to accept any drop-offs. This way any person seen dropping items off can be prosecuted for littering,” he said.
Mr Giachin said the dumping of items outside charity organisations was a common occurrence throughout the state and urged residents not to use the bins as a pseudo rubbish tip.
Cardinia Shire local laws officers visited the site in Pakenham on Tuesday and photographed numerous bags and a mattress next to the Red Cross bin.
The mattresses were removed yesterday (Wednesday) by the council at no charge to the Red Cross.
