New surveillance cameras are being installed by Tweed Shire Council in a bid to discourage illegal dumping of items like mattresses, broken toys and damaged furniture across the region.
The cameras will support council staff to identify offenders more quickly and act as a strong deterrent against people dumping household waste in public bins, bushland, road reserves and rural areas.
Illegal dumping costs the Tweed community more than $200,000 each year, with more than 200 incidents reported annually. Beyond clean-up costs, dumped waste damages the environment, attracts pests, creates odours and allows invasive weeds to spread.
Cleaning up the dumped and damaged goods also has an impact on Council staff because they never know what hazards, including wildlife like snakes, may be hiding in the rubbish. In contrast, waste taken to Stotts Creek Resource Recovery Centre is known and managed, allowing staff to handle it safely.
Resource Recovery Unit Coordinator Rodney Dawson said the whole community pays the price for illegal rubbish disposal. ‘Illegal dumping impacts all of us and costs everyone. It damages the places we care about,’ Mr Dawson said.
‘Surveillance cameras have been shown to be a strong deterrent and are one of the tools we can use to manage illegal dumping in public places. We know the community has asked us to take stronger action, and we are doing what we can to protect and preserve our shared places.’
No excuses
Tweed Council says there are no excuses for disposing of waste illegally, with a range of free and convenient disposal options available for households across the Tweed, including free on-call kerbside collection for residents with a domestic wheelie bin service, and
Stotts Creek Resource Recovery Centre, where many items can be dropped off free of charge.
If caught, offenders face significant penalties. Council officers can issue on-the-spot fines of up to $6,000, with maximum penalties of up to $250,000 for individuals and $1 million for corporations.
If you witness illegal dumping or suspicious activity in a public place, including parks, bushland or road reserves:
- Record details safely – where safe to do so, note vehicle details, number plates, descriptions, location, date and time.
- Report illegal dumping as soon as possible via Tweed Council’s website or by calling 131 555.
- You can also ring Tweed Shire Council on 02 6670 2400 between 8:30am and 4:30pm on weekdays.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
