Did you know that Bass Coast Shire Council's waste facilities accept many common illegally dumped items for free?
Bass Coast Mayor, Cr Brett Tessari, said recyclable items that don't fit into household recycling bins can be disposed of for free at Council's waste facilities.
"You can dispose of old whitegoods and large appliances such as fridges and washing machines, small appliances such as microwaves and toasters, scrap metal, household and car batteries, mobile phones, and metal garden and garage equipment - all for free," Cr Tessari said.
"Ratepayers who receive the kerbside waste collection service are also eligible for a hard waste collection of up to two cubic metres each year, at a cost of $65."
Areas around the Shire are being monitored for illegal dumping and offenders face enforcement action under Victoria's Environment Protection Act 1970.
Recently, Council removed a substantial amount of illegally dumped rubbish from a gorge alongside Dalyston Glen Forbes Road. Not only was it a difficult and dangerous location to work in, it also caused a significant disruption to the operations of the staff involved and damage to the environmentally sensitive area where it was dumped.
Cr Tessari said removing illegally dumped waste can cost anywhere from $100 to $225, depending on what and where the dumping occurs. The removal of rubbish from Glen Forbes Road is estimated to have cost approximately $10,000, due to the specialist equipment and time required to retrieve the garbage.
"Unfortunately, it is up to ratepayers to foot the bill of removing and disposing of these items; money that could be better spent elsewhere," Cr Tessari said.
Council also accepts some e-waste items for free, such as televisions, printers, computers, tablets, hard drives, mice, motherboards, keyboards and computer monitors. Other items, such as DVD players, gaming consoles, VCRs, radios and stereos, can be disposed of for just $5 per item.
Items like tyres, mattresses and gas bottles can also be recycled, but incur a fee, as it costs to transport them to Melbourne to be recycled.
For a full list of Council Transfer Station locations, fees and conditions, visit www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/waste.
Members of the community are encouraged to report illegal dumpers to Council on 1300 BCOAST (226 278) or (03) 5671 2211, or the EPA on 1300 EPA VIC (372 842).
