The Wayside Opportunity Centre has spent thousands of dollars cleaning up the rubbish dumped outside the store. Volunteer Stephen Azzopardi and Director Ces Martin cleaned up last week. 79724 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By LAURA WAKELY
STAFF at a Brimbank op-shop treated “like a tip” have joined the chorus of complaints about illegal dumping in Sunshine.
It’s not unusual for workers at Wayside Opportunity Centre to find mattresses, green waste, and household rubbish when they open their doors each day.
Celia Martin, the director of UnitingCare Sunshine Mission, which manages the Withers St store, said workers had 47 mattresses removed one day last month.
“Within three days we had another 11 mattresses dumped,” Ms Martin said.
“It’s like a tip.”
Ms Martin believes most of the dumping is done by people who can’t afford tip fees.
The op-shop was lucky enough to “get a deal” on the 47 mattresses, but the cost was still high at $770.
Last week Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association (SunRRA) president Darlene Reilly told Star illegal dumping would increase due to increases in tip fees (Community group wary of dump costs, Star, 3 April).
Ms Reilly called on Brimbank City Council to strengthen local laws around illegal dumping and be stricter about enforcing them.
She also said residents had no opportunity for discounted waste disposal as the council does not own or manage a waste transfer station.
Current fees at the Brooklyn waste transfer station, for example, are up to $80 a trailer and an added cost of between $25 and $50 for mattresses, arm chairs and tyres.
Wayside Opportunity Centre is ineligible for Brimbank Council services, such as waste removal, because it is a charity and does not pay rates.
Ms Martin said UnitingCare would pay rates to council in order to be eligible for services, but does not have the funds.
UnitingCare has contacted council about the problem but in the meantime the rubbish is piling up at the op-shop.
“We used to have bins out the front but we had to move them because some families were putting kids inside bins to pull things out,” Ms Martin said.
To donate items to the Wayside Opportunity Centre contact 9311 5450.
To report illegal rubbish dumping contact Brimbank City Council on 9249 4000.
