By ANEEKA SIMONIS
UNSUSPECTING dumpers have been served with fines after council officers identified them by the rubbish they left in the middle of a Pakenham road.
The large pile of rubbish dumped on Five Mile Road in Pakenham on Wednesday 6 January included an old TV, toys, clothing and building material.
A member of Cardinia Shire Council’s Compliance Services team sifted through the dumped rubbish and uncovered incriminating evidence.
Staff then used the items to locate the offender who has since been issued with a number of infringement notices under the Environmental Protection Act 1970.
The council was first alerted to the rubbish by a resident who reported the refuse was creating traffic obstructions along the unsealed road between Bald Hill Road and Bourke Road.
Two trucks and the compliance officer were sent from the council’s depot to clean up and investigate.
A council statement revealed that illegal dumping was on the rise in Cardinia shire and that ratepayers were having to pay the clean-up costs.
“In 2013-14, council’s operations crew spent just over 1200 hours removing illegally dumped rubbish around our municipality, at a cost of almost $140,000,” a council statement read.
“Every hour the crew spends removing this rubbish is time not spent conducting road and drainage maintenance works.”
Anyone who witnesses or has information about illegal dumping in Cardinia shire is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
