Battle to stop dumping

Cannons Creek residents Bill D’Oliviera, Ricci D’Oliviera, Allan Pinnock and Dave Avard say they are sick of people destroying environmentally significant land with fourwheel drives, and as a matter of urgency want the property owner to erect a gate to sh

By Alison Noonan
A CANNONS Creek property owner has promised to put an end to trespassers illegally dumping rubbish on his land.
Robin Daly said he would install a gate at the front of his Albatross Court property after years of putting up with people dumping anything from stolen cars to dead bodies on his land.
He said the gate would hopefully work to shut trespassers out and silence residents who had long complained of the devastation being caused to the surrounding environmentally significant area.
“Casey Council installed bollards to block most of the area and I will put a gate up within the next three weeks,” Mr Daly said.
“I have asked council to prosecute anybody who infringes on my land without permission, and I urge residents to be astute and report any offences to the police or council by laws officers.
“Locals need to be conscious of people dumping rubbish or driving onto the property and contact the relevant authorities because I am not there to see it.”
However, members of the Cannons Creek Residents Coast Action Committee said Mr Daly had been promising to install a gate at the property for weeks.
“He said he would have a set of gates up last week but it didn’t happen,” Bill D’Oliviera said.
“The problem is that his land backs on to a bird sanctuary, which is environmentally protected land.
“People chop up the mangroves something shocking with their fourwheel drives and leave burntout cars and dumped rubbish there on a regular basis.
“It is destroying the birds’ homes,” he said.
Mr D’Oliviera said the land would take about 10 years to regenerate.
“That’s how much damage has been done,” he said.
“But Mr Daly doesn’t seem to care.
“There isn’t even a sign saying ‘private property’ out the front.
“Residents are up in arms about this and have been for a long time.”
Casey manager engineering and environmental services David Richardson said the council had been working with Mr Daly to find a solution to the longrunning saga.
“The only thing that needs to be done now is to hang a gate, and Mr Daly has every intention of doing that,” he said.
“A gate should hopefully alleviate the problem.
“The dumping of rubbish is a problem in all isolated areas and council was happy to support Mr Daly to install bollards on the property to keep people out of the environmentally protected area.”