Illegal dumpings are a rubbish act

CAR batteries, an old mattress and a 20-litre container of hydrochloric acid was among rubbish recently dumped in a new housing estate in Curlewis.

Chris Symmonds said he and his wife regularly walked around their neighbourhood and were shocked to see the rubbish sprawled across a nature strip in Capstan Crescent.

“It’s a new housing area with built homes, lots of vacant land, new homes being built, and builders’ skips, so there is a lot of illegal dumping,” Mr Symmonds said.

“My wife was walking around the area and came across something which really got to her… someone had dumped car batteries, a mattress and what is shocking, a 20-litre container of hydrochloric acid on a vacant block of land on the nature strip.”

He said his wife had already contacted the City of Greater Geelong Council, who told her that they would look into it.

The city’s director of planning and development Gareth Smith said council received two reports of rubbish dumping at Curlewis last week, which were investigated by the Local Laws team.

“As there were no witnesses to the dumping nor any identifying evidence, the city will undertake the rubbish removal.”

He said illegal dumping of rubbish was a statewide issue and was not isolated to any particular areas or locations, including new estates.

“The city has a variety of waste and resource recovery programs in place, providing free or low cost ways to conveniently dispose of bulky items.

“Our Drysdale and Geelong resource recovery centres offer free drop off of white goods, paint, scrap metals, oils, car batteries, barbecue gas cylinders, televisions, computers and excess recycling.

“We also have discount offers for items that are difficult to get to the resource recovery centres.

“One is the lounge suite pick up service, where residents can have their old lounge suite picked up for $20 and the city subsidises the remainder of the cost, which is $80.

“Since starting in June 2017, the city has picked up over 1,000 lounge suites.

“Another is the discount mattress offer, available during June and November each year.

“Residents can drop off their mattress for $10 or have it picked up for $15.”

Mr Smith said the city undertakes regular investigations into illegally dumped rubbish and issues infringements to offenders.

“We also have a thorough compliance program, including the installation and use of CCTV cameras throughout Greater Geelong.”