Not only is it an eyesore, but waste dumping on public land can have disastrous carry-on effects for the environment. People dump rubbish in the ocean, in lakes and rivers, in the bush and even in public car parks or by the side of the road. The scale of the waste materials in question differ greatly - they can range from simple bags of household trash to things like construction and manufacturing waste, which can carry hefty penalties.
There’s little doubt that rubbish dumping is very irresponsible and the government and council have been making ongoing efforts to crack down on this unacceptable behaviour. Interestingly, evidence suggests that dumping has escalated as tip fees have increased.
Unauthorised waste dumping can obviously harm wildlife in the area and also contaminate the land in the long term. But there are further problems associated with it. In addition to the fact that it is not pleasant to look at, it costs the council a significant amount of money to take care of. But perhaps the most crucial problem that arises as a result of dumping is the fact that the materials are essentially wasted. When rubbish is taken to the tip, each of the materials is broken down for recycling purposes. However, when waste is buried or dumped in the ocean, it is essentially lost and cannot be reused, which is obviously very inefficient.
In Victoria, the maximum penalty for this offence is a fine of more than $600,000 or 7 years in prison for an individual and fines of more than $1 million for corporations. However, the problem persists and in the state government has been forced into assisting local councils in the effort to ‘clean up’ this major problem. In 2011 for instance, the Baillieu government allocated $1.14 million for a number of Melbourne councils to be able to put in place ‘litter prevention officers’ who patrol dumping areas and catch people in the act.
Like most illegal activities, the key to getting unauthorised dumping under control has to come from education. Yes, it costs money to dispose of high quantities of waste in the appropriate way; however, the costs to the environment, the government and to the community as a whole are much greater.
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