Dob in a Dumper Campaign

Illegal rubbish dumping has peaked in the last six months with a combination of industrial, commercial and household debris strewn across public land.

Council Mayor Steven Edgington said the problem is serious, with more and more rubbish being dumped in bushland near Kaczinsky and Warrego Roads and behind the landfill site off Standley Street.

“There are individuals and companies dodging the cost of rubbish disposal by abandoning tonnes of waste wherever and whenever they can,” he said. “That is unfair competition for the honest locals and businesses that pay the fees for proper disposal of rubbish and recyclable goods.”

The growing amount of illegally dumped rubbish also poses significant fire, health and environmental risks for the community.

“It’s a huge problem in terms of fire risk,” said Mayor Edgington.  “When people dump their rubbish illegally in the bush, the bush grows around it and, combined with the heat, all this contributes significantly to combustible materials which will burn in the event of a bushfire.

“It can also increase hazards and risk to fire fighters and general maintenance workers by exposing them to potentially hazardous wastes, chemicals and materials like asbestos. Illegal sites can also hinder or block maintenance works of roads, fire trails and bushfire protection zones.”

Other impacts of illegal dumping on public land include destroying local bushland, reducing the biodiversity value, hindering revegetation, contaminating soil and water sources, damaging Aboriginal land and culture, turning bushland into an eyesore, and attracting further illegal dumping.

There is also the increased problem of attracting rodents, insects and other vermin that pose severe health risks plus the loss of valuable resources as a large percentage of dumped materials could be recycled.

“We have a landfill site in Tennant Creek for a reason,” said Mayor Edgington. “It’s there to manage waste, dispose of rubbish properly, and recover resources. It is also currently subject to short and long-term improvements as part of Council’s ongoing commitment to providing waste solutions for Tennant Creek and the Barkly region.

“Illegally dumping rubbish does not help Council or the community move forward with this strategy. Instead it shows an unwillingness to pay and contribute to waste solutions, and an uncaring attitude to country which is not beneficial to residents or visitors to this area.”

Mayor Edgington said he’d recently been told by government officials that visitors flying into Tennant Creek were appalled by the amount of rubbish they could see on the ground from the air. “Government representatives and contract workers for the mining and exploration industry are shocked at how prolific the problem is when they fly into the Tennant Creek airport,” he said.

Illegal dumping “hot spots” identified in Tennant Creek include the end of Standley Street (left of the power station behind landfill and right of the power station), Kaczinsky Road (north side near Peko Road entrance), southside of Kargaru Camp, south of Warrego Road, southwest of Drive-in camp (Peko Road entrance), an abandoned camp next to Battery Hill and northside of Mulga camp.

Rubbish at these illegal sites include construction and demolition waste, hazardous materials such as asbestos, packaging, organic waste, household furniture, old mattresses, whitegoods such as ovens and washing machines, flammable items, tyres and abandoned cars.

Council joined forces with the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Services, Barkly Work Camp, Julalikari Aboriginal Corporation, the NT Police, the NTG’s Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics and the Environmental Protection Agency in a bid to clear up the growing mess and to prevent people from dumping illegal rubbish.

Out of these discussions the ‘Dob in a Dumper’ campaign was born with Council now working closely with Barkly Work Camp and Julalikari to remove the rubbish once reported.

“The faster we hear about an illegally dumped load of waste, the faster we can do something about tracking down the culprit, prosecuting them and having the mess cleaned up,” Mayor Edgington said.

Council provides a variety of ways that residents can dispose of unwanted materials – through scheduled kerbside clean-ups, and waste disposal facilities at the landfill.

“Illegal dumping of rubbish is simply not acceptable,” said the Mayor. “The Tennant Creek Dump is open seven days a week, 8am – 5pm from Monday to Saturday and from 8am – 12noon on Sundays, with green waste free for householders and commercial operators.”

Mayor Edgington said Council is serious about clamping down on illegal dumping. “It is a crime. Residents can be fined for illegal rubbish dumping and commercial operators can face court and significant fines for dumping commercial waste.

“So help prevent illegal dumping in your area and dob in a dumper today,” he said.  “Protect your country and keep it clean and healthy for the generations to come.”