2020-05-12 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                    12 MAY 2020


Street Litter and Illegal Dumping

   Street Litter (public place) bins
     To date waste officers have installed ten new waste bin enclosures. There has also been a
     number of damaged and deteriorated enclosures removed and replaced. Waste officers are
     currently negotiating with the manufacturers of the enclosures to return and recycle the
     aluminium. So far, this has been positive and may result in credit being given to Council for
     new replacement enclosures. Waste officers are also looking into a program to replace
     damaged/rusted bin poles. Dog bag dispensers are also being replaced and updated where
     needed.

     Street litter recycling bins continue to be rolled out in the high profile high use areas of
     Gympie Terrace and Hastings Street. Recycling bins have also been installed in the main
     streets of Pomona, Cooroy and Cooran.

   Illegal dumping
     Since July 1 2019, there have been 344 reports of illegal dumping. This can be broken down
     into 33 incidents of dumped green garden waste, 26 instances of littering and 285 incidents
     of dumping other or mixed loads of material in excess of 240L.

     There is an apparent increase in passive dumping where large household items are
     jettisoned onto the street, usually in close proximity to the domestic premises they originate
     from.

     Waste officers continue to visit dumping incidents to determine if the person responsible can
     be identified. Works Section are requested to collect this dumped material.

     Waste officers issued eight show cause notices and five Penalty Infringement notices. Three
     warning letters were also issued. Further actions included four compliance notices to clean
     up jettisoned material. Compliance was voluntarily achieved after door knocking in seven
     instances.

     Complaints continue to be received under Local Law 7 for wheelie bins left out on the footpath
     for prolonged periods. Fifteen (15) warning letters have been issued with mixed results.
     Compliance has also been achieved through face-to-face contact. There was success,
     dealing directly with real estate agencies letting to tenants, particularly in Sunshine Beach.
     Bins left out continue to be a source of customer complaint, often linked with Air B&Bs where
     our collection services do not adjoin a weekend.

     The camera surveillance program has continued at known hotspots and reactionary dumping
     spots. We lost six more cameras to vandalism and the program was struggling after cameras
     were stolen from Cootharaba, Boreen Point, Pomona, Belli Creek and Noosaville. Currently
     as at April 2020 we have 10 operating cameras deployed in seven spots around the fringe
     areas. In August 2019 staff contacted Brisbane City Council about their illegal dumping
     program and eventually arranged a personal visit in Brisbane. Staff are adopting some of the
     strategies observed, which have been successful. Brisbane City Council have the best-
     practice surveillance and prevention of illegal dumping program in Queensland and have not
     lost a camera installation since 2018.

     Waste Section applied for and was successful in obtaining a grant of $50,000 for improved
     illegal dumping surveillance. This grant program will fund improved operations next financial
     year. The following photos depict typical illegal dumping.




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