By Corey Everitt
A motion has been passed in the council calling for the State Government to address illegal rubbish dumping in Cardinia Shire.
The motion, put forward at the Cardinia Shire Council meeting on Monday 17 July, calls attention to the specific site on a stretch of Princes Highway between the intersections Army Road and Windemere Boulevard, as well as the many spots along Princes Hwy where rubbish is dumped regularly.
It is directed to the Department of Transport and Planning (DOTP), calling for both the immediate removal of dumped rubbish at the site mentioned and for an overall litter management plan to be developed for Cardinia’s roads.
While also calling for a review into the sites where the DOTP designates the stockpiling of construction material along Princes Highway, where many of the illegal rubbish dumping occurs.
Councillor for Pakenham Hills Ward Jack Korwazik moved the motion and said a “result in this space was long overdue.”
“There has been a lot of internal advocacy to the DOTP to have these issues addressed and they haven’t responded in manner that we would expect.
“There are many DOTP or former VicRoads storage areas along the Princes Highway through out Cardinia Shire, some of these include; in Officer near McMullen Road on the other side of the weighbridge not far from where we are meeting tonight; opposite Army Road near the Star News building and running along side Racecourse Road North; the area this motion mentions just south of Murphy Road before Windemere Boulevard; and the start of Bessie Creek Road near the roundabout in Nar Nar Goon, there are many others.
“These areas have extremely poor amenity levels associated with them, they’re ugly to look at and they attract huge amounts of dumped rubbish, they also attract commercial dumping with fill from construction sites being dumped illegally.
“In addition, they seem to act as a beacon for anti-social behaviour, it all goes to a range of issues.
“When you combine that with the poor maintenance levels we receive from DOTP in Cardinia Shire it results in poor outcomes for our community.”
“With councillor’s support we will write to the relevant ministers and departments bringing this issue to the fore and hopefully resulting in proper oversight being executed in this space.”
The motion was seconded by Councillor Graeme Moore who said the motion acknowledges the good work the council staff do that isn’t supported by the DOTP.
“I believe and I witness our own staff do a fantastic job cleaning up these illegal dumping areas,” Cr Moore said.
“But, on the other hand, the Department of Transport don’t do the same and I see many many times, I walk around with a pad in my car all the time taking notes and photos of these sites.
“We are inundated with illegal rubbish, particularly tires, commercial amount of tires being dumped in areas we have no control of.
“I highly commend this notice of motion and I hope to see some action from it, that’s going to be the question mark, a lot of these things fall on deaf ears.”
The motion was passed unanimously.
The Gazette reached out to the DOTP and a spokesperson responded by saying illegal dumping remains a continues challenge.
“Illegal dumping remains an ongoing challenge for both the Department and local councils,” they said.
“We urge everyone to dispose of their rubbish in a responsible manner and to be aware of the impact that roadside dumping can have on the surrounding environment.”
The DOTP said they conducte regular inspections on our road network across the region, including the Princes Highway.
They urge community members to report illegal rubbish dumping to the Environment Protection Authority Victoria by contacting 1300 372 842 or 1300 EPA VIC.
