Government funded Litter Prevention Officer lends hand to Salvos
Dumpers in the City of Manningham are on notice as the result of a partnership between the council and the Victorian Coalition Government.
Visiting the Doncaster East Salvos Store today, Minister for Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith met Manningham City Council’s Litter Prevention Officer who has been patrolling and working closely with the Doncaster East Salvos staff to prevent the unlawful dumping of rubbish outside the store.
Mr Smith said the Coalition Government was committed to stopping the unacceptable practise of people dumping waste on charities and leaving them with the burden of disposing unsellable junk, estimated to cost charities up to $5 million nationally each year.
“This year the Coalition Government has invested $2 million to give charities a helping hand and crack down on illegal dumping,” Mr Smith said.
“The Litter Prevention Officers program complements this funding to ensure we send a strong message that illegal dumping won’t be tolerated and offenders will get caught,” Mr Smith said.
Salvos Stores CEO Allen Dewhirst said the Victorian Government and Manningham City Council recognised illegal dumping was a community issue that required a unified response to stamp out the problem.
“We are grateful for the assistance of the Victorian Government and the local council, which has cut down dumping at the Doncaster store,” Mr Dewhirst said.
During his visit to the store Mr Smith took the opportunity to urge Victorians not to be dumpers.
“With spring cleaning in full swing, now is the time councils and charity stores tend to see a spike in volumes of unwanted household goods,” Mr Smith said.
“Councils pay on average $75,000 a year on waste disposal from illegally dumped rubbish, while the cost to charities in Australia to get rid of unwanted waste is estimated to be around $5 million a year.
“The indirect costs are also considerable, with almost 12,000 tonnes of roadside litter removed to landfill each year.”
Litter Prevention Officers lead education, training and enforcement activities at a local level and encourage communities to take practical measures to reduce litter.
Nine local councils across Victoria received Coalition Government funding in August last year to employ a dedicated Litter Prevention Officer to develop and implement highly targeted programs designed to minimise litter in their area.
This year the Coalition Government has committed $2 million to a partnership with the National Association for Charitable Recycling Organisations (NACRO) to help stem the flow of illegally dumped waste on charities.
