By Alesha Capone
A Truganina resident has called on Wyndham council to pick up its efforts in raising awareness of rubbish dumping.
Melissa Tuimavave-mau said she recently collected rubbish scattered along Westmeadows Lane.
While cleaning up the litter, she took photographs of some of the mess, including garbage bags full of waste, discarded clothing and severed tree branches. She reported the rubbish to Wyndham council.
Ms Tuimavave-mau said, that while growing up in New Zealand, she was taught in primary school to respect the land and dispose of rubbish.
She said she would like to see Wyndham council increase its efforts to clean up rubbish in the local area.
She also said the council needed to do more to encourage residents to stop littering and clean up their communities.
“The council does absolutely nothing to try and tidy up the community,” she said.
“There is no marketing interventions or billboards to promote, i.e. ‘Tidy Victorians’ or community initiatives for neighbourhoods to clean up their areas or flyers about how to stop littering.”
A Wyndham council spokesperson said: “Council has received reports of rubbish dumped on Westmeadows Lane in Truganina and we plan to clean up this area in the coming weeks.
“Wyndham City staff regularly remove illegally dumped rubbish across the municipality, and we need the community to dispose of their rubbish correctly and report sightings of dumped rubbish to council.”
The spokesperson said the council has erected signage in strategic locations across the municipality, asking residents to report illegal rubbish dumping.
“We conduct a range of education programs and initiatives on how to dispose of litter properly,” the spokesperson said.
“These include our Waste Watchers program to help residents recycle appropriately and reduce landfill waste; a bin inspection program to help residents understand what can and cannot be recycled; and support with community litter groups.”
The council also offers free green and hard waste collections for each Wyndham household, up to three times per year.
To report dumped litter, contact the EPA Litter Hotline on 1300 372 842 or Wyndham council on 9742 0777.
