Littering and Illegal Dumping
Every year, Council spends an enormous amount of time and money to clean up litter and illegally dumped waste in the South Burnett.
Problems associated with littering/illegal dumping
Littering and illegal dumping of waste has the potential to cause health and safety risks for both people and the natural environment. It can:
- Contain broken glass, syringes, nappies, medical waste and toxic substances like asbestos
- Attract rodents, insects and other vermin
- Provide an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes
- Block waterways and stormwater drains, increasing the potential for flooding and erosion
- Be a potential fire hazard
- Attract further dumping
- Other antisocial and illegal activities
- Decrease community pride and intensifies the problem
- Build up next to roads
- Block gutters and find its way into creeks, rivers and onto beaches
- Harm and/or kill wildlife
What is Littering and Illegal Dumping?
Littering: Litter has been defined as the deposit of waste at a place that is an amount less than 200L in volume.
Common types of litter include cigarette butts, drink bottles, fast food wrappers, material from a trailer that is poorly secured, grass clippings swept into the gutter, fishing tackle.
Dangerous Littering: Deposits equalling an amount less than 200L in volume, that causes or is likely to cause harm to a person or the environment.
Examples include throwing a lit cigarette onto dry grass in extreme fire danger conditions; smashing a glass bottle and leaving the broken glass on a footpath; leaving a syringe in a public place other than in a container intended to receive used syringes.
Illegal Dumping: Illegal dumping has been defined as the deposit of waste at a place that is an amount equalling amounts greater than 200L in volume.
Dumping is unsightly, degrades the local environment and costs rate payers each year to clean up. Illegal dumping includes items such as bags of household rubbish, garden waste, building and commercial materials, household goods, scrap tyres and hazardous waste.
Queensland Littering Laws and Penalties
The Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 includes a range of offences for litter and illegal dumping, including:
- General littering
- Littering from a vehicle
- Dangerous littering
- Illegal dumping
- Failing to clean up waste
Local governments and the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (DEHP) have a shared responsibility for litter and illegal dumping enforcement. Authorised officers from council and Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (DEHP) can issue fines and direction notices for litter and illegal dumping offence.
Examples of litter and illegal dumping fines are included in the table below:
|
Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 section and offence |
Maximum Penalty in court |
Penalty Infringement Notice (PIN) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Amount |
Receiver |
Amount |
|
|
Section 103(1)(a): general littering if the offence involves dangerous littering |
$4,554 |
Individual |
$455 |
|
Corporation |
$1,821 |
||
|
Section 103(1)(b): general littering |
$3,415 |
Individual |
$227 |
|
Corporation |
$1,138 |
||
|
Section 104(1)(a): illegal dumping of waste provision if the offence involves depositing a volume of less than 2500L of waste |
$45,540 |
Individual |
$1,821 |
|
Corporation |
$3,415 |
||
|
Section 104(1)(b): illegal dumping of waste provision if the offence involves depositing a volume of more than 2500L of waste |
$113,850 |
Individual |
$2,277 |
|
Corporation |
$7,286 |
||
|
Section 251: A person must comply with a compliance notice |
$34,155 |
Individual |
$683 |
|
Corporation |
$3,415 |
||
|
Section 265: giving false or misleading information |
$189,560 |
||
How to Report Littering / Illegal Dumping
If you witness any illegal dumping or littering incident, then please either:
- Contact Council on phone (07) 4189 9100.
- Contact the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (DEHP).