Page 524 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 19 February 2020
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We know that city rangers and the local police force know about these issues. Illegal dumping on vacant blocks is frequently reported by residents. Parks and roadside spots that are commonly used are also, sadly, becoming notorious. Worse still is the financial cost of illegal dumping to local businesses. They often pay for additional waste disposal through private companies and, despite locking their dumpsters and trash areas, people dump out the back of their shops and in precincts such as Mitchell.
We know where we need to focus our efforts, but this government is so committed to banning and fining that it forgets about patrolling and preventing. The government is so used to trying to tell people how to live, it forgets to try to understand the practical realities facing everyday Canberrans. This brings me to the kerbside pickup service that Canberrans have been wanting for for so long.
In fact, this government only committed to this after my colleague Nicole Lawder announced our policy of twice-yearly collections. Following our announcement, those opposite reluctantly agreed to show a slow rollout which consists of pickups only once a year. That is something, but that is not the end of the requirements. The government announced a service, but you have to book for the collection. You can only have two cubic metres of material per household. It can only be used for a defined list of items and it cannot include mattresses, which still incur a fee for collection and disposal. Also, it will not finish rolling out in Canberra until 2024.
I have to say that some households across Canberra will benefit from this scheme, depending on their ability to book it in and only have the right volume and right type of rubbish, but these are not the ones committing illegal dumping. That is why I am standing here today. I acknowledge that the government has tried to address these issues. Minister Steel introduced legislation in June last year and commenced a pilot program with compliance officers. But rubbish and illegal dumping seems to be growing, despite attempted reforms.
It is typical of the government to stand here and oversell its performance, when we all know the truth about its inability to deliver and its disconnect from the realities of life in Canberran suburbs. Why is that? Because this government and this minister do not understand the needs of our community. Last year, there were over 1,150 reports of illegal dumping, yet only 216 incidents were referred for investigation. How many from that had enforcement action taken? The answer is less than 10 per cent.
Worse still, the clean-up bill for taxpayers is over $2 million per year. I think more can be done, and probably for a lot less. We need to adopt a commonsense approach, partner with local charities and recycling groups to help them do their job and recycle and upcycle goods, helping those in need across Canberra. We need to think about the placement of charity collection points and rubbish bins. Let us use better lighting, signage and CCTV. We need to review the need for multiple dumpsters at sporting groups. We pay very high rates for private contractors to empty these bins, and often they are full of illegally dumped items.
Let us look at the reporting process and make it easier for residents and more responsive to ACT government employees. Surely in this age of technology and data
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