Man fined after using Airtasker to illegally dump

A 25 year-old man has been hit with a $4,000 fine after taking on a job through Airtasker and illegally dumping waste in CBCity.

In May, the East Hills man was paid to remove waste from a property, which included household materials and furniture. However, instead of disposing of the waste legally, he dumped it in Wallshaw Park, Bass Hill. A day later, he took on a similar job, which led to more dumped waste, but this time in a car park in Royal National Park.

The man admitted to Sydney Regional Illegal Dumping (RID) investigators, about taking up the contracting job through Airtasker. Enquiries were then made with Airtasker, which worked closely with RID officers, regarding this transaction and those involved.

After investigations wrapped up, the illegal dumper copped a $2,000 fine for having the waste transported to an unlawful waste facility, and a further $2,000 for the waste being dumped.

City of Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour said he was disturbed by the lengths some people go to avoid doing the right thing.

"This dumper thought he was being smart, but he was wrong," he said.

"It just proves my point that we need the efforts of the whole community to address the issue of illegal dumping, including companies and organisations which have a social and ethical responsibility to protect the environment.

"If it wasn’t for Airtasker’s diligence and cooperation in this matter, this offender may have gotten away with using our backyard as a dumping ground.

"Our Council has always taken a hard stance on illegal dumping and makes no apologies for penalising those who get rid of waste unlawfully.

"We are also proud to accommodate the Sydney RID squad’s operations in Bankstown. It’s an extra layer of protection against illegal dumping for our City."

So far this year, there have been more than 2,200 incidents of illegal dumping investigated by the Sydney RID squad, which has amounted to over $40,000 in fines and 294 clean-up notices being issued. In addition, there have been 660 dumps investigated in the first two weeks of stage two of Council’s #EyesOnIt anti-dumping campaign.

To report any instances of dumping in CBCity, contact 9707 9000 or visit cb.city/reportit