By ANEEKA SIMONIS
Retailers hit back at rubbish pile up…
THEY’VE become the unofficial dumping ground for Pakenham residents but now retailers are putting their foot down.
For months, Lakeside retailers have been fighting for waste space because residents have taken to disposing of their own hard rubbish in the retail bins.
“They are constantly open and overflowing because other people’s rubbish is being put in there from the area” said Frankie’s cafe senior staff member Trent Stebbing.
“There was a mattress in the bin today… I’ve also have strollers in there, high chairs and other random household rubbish.”
Advantage Pharmacy manager Kirsty Fawcett said the problem had been so bad that she had had to keep her rubbish in the store for days at a time.
“I had one of the staff members take the bins out last week and they were full. We had to keep in store waiting for the bin to be emptied.
“It takes up a lot of room for businesses who need to use it,” she said.
Pharmacy assistant Marnie Alexander agreed.
“It’s frustrating to come out to the bin with a trolley and it be full so you have to jam it all in and it flies everywhere.”
Retailers have said the overflowing rubbish makes for an unhygienic mess.
“Many people using those bins (results) in the shop keepers who pay for that bin service unable to bin their rubbish as they overflow,” said Melinda Conn from Lakeside’s Cold Rock ice-creamery on the Pakenham Gazette Facebook page.
Shoppers are also peeved about the eyesore.
“Thumbs down to the two ladies putting their rubbish around the bins at Coles Lakeside.
“Those bins are always full and disgusting, and I guess this is why. It’s such a disgrace,” said Katey on the Pakenham Gazette Facebook page.
In the past, the bins were padlocked for the sole access to retailers.
But the lock went missing “at least a year ago,” one retailer said which has created a free-for-all dumping ground for locals.
“Since the padlock has been gone, rubbish from people around the area has started to appear,” Mr Stebbing said.
Cardinia Shire Council’s Waste Officer Melanie Kerr said the council is tough on illegal dumping.
“Council’s compliance officers investigate each complaint regarding dumped rubbish and where the person responsible is identified, council seeks to prosecute.”
Despite this, the council said traders needed to do their part in securing their bins.
“Council advises businesses and traders to securely store, lock and screen bins to prevent this activity,” Ms Kerr said.
The Pakenham Gazette contacted Lakeside Square management about the waste problem but staff did not want to comment.
Dump facilities in the area include the Cardinia Waste and Recycling Centre in Pakenham, Drouin Waste Recyclers and SITA/Outlook Waste Transfer and Recycling Centre in Hampton Park.
The council also recommended residents take advantage of the residential hard and green waste collections which are held twice each year, the next beginning at the end of October.
