Gerald Lynch
Hume council is seeking to address the cost of illegally dumped rubbish in the municipality by providing educational information to residents.
Residents will soon receive a magnetic mailout, full of information on how to manage and dispose of their waste.
Following a $4.7 million bill in the 2022-23 financial year on cleaning up illegally dumped rubbish, the council is looking to raise awareness and education on waste.
Councillor Jim Overend said that it feels as though lack of community knowledge of the services available has led to more dumping.
“One of our biggest problems is with our renters out there,” he said.
“They don’t understand they have access to tip passes and hard rubbish collection. It’s our failure to get in touch with real estate agents to talk to tenants to make them aware of what they can and can’t do.
“No matter how hard we try to get them to dispose of rubbish thoughtfully, if they’re unaware of it they’re unaware of it.
“This will help… we’re in a situation I’ve never seen before, in the 35 years I have been living in Craigieburn this is the worst it’s been.”
The mail outs will contain a card full of waste information about how to best manage waste, including education about tip vouchers and hard waste collection available to all Hume residents.
Further, it will contain a QR code leading rate payers to the council website where they can book in a collection, making the process easier for everyone.
Council also approved a hotline number service to be included among the information, allowing members of the community to raise any concerns regarding rubbish or collections with a human being, rather than an online chat or a form.
The mail out pack is set for June and will also include an illegal dumping education flyer.
The council is said to be also exploring the option of translated versions of the mail out being distributed around the area.
