Council says illegal dumping has to stop
Published on 23 May 2025
Melton City Council has kicked off a campaign to highlight there are no excuses for illegal rubbish dumping.
Council has already spent over $3 million this financial year on cleaning up rubbish which has been illegally dumped in the City of Melton.
Over the past four years, the amount of rubbish dumped on roadsides has doubled to around 6,000 tonnes, the equivalent of 200 large garbage trucks.
City of Melton Mayor Cr Steve Abboushi said it’s frustrating to be spending ratepayer money on cleaning up rubbish when it could have better been spent on fixing roads, building community facilities and delivering services.
“A lot of items we see that have been dumped could have been taken to the new recycling centre at our Melton Recycling Facility and dropped off for free. Our disposal fees are lower than other areas across Melbourne’s west, and we have a new resale shop to donate items that can be reused - there are really no excuses.”
Residents are also eligible for two hard waste pick-ups or two visits to the Melton Recycling Facility each financial year.
“We’ve found only a quarter of our residents are using their waste entitlements, and as we near the end of the financial year we are encouraging everyone to take advantage of this year’s allocation,” Mayor Abboushi said.
Anyone dumping rubbish illegally on roadsides is being warned if caught they will be penalised, as Council steps up its surveillance with more proactive patrols and cameras in hot spots.
Fines range from $395-$1,976 for individuals and $1,976-$9,880 for businesses. In some instances, offenders can be taken to court.
“If you see someone doing the wrong thing or see rubbish that identifies the person or organisation who dumped it, please report it anytime by using our online form, or give us a call.”
Council is also advocating for state-led initiatives including the implementation of preventive measures, enforcement activities and community education campaigns, to help address the challenges all Victorian Councils face with illegally dumped waste.
“We are doing as much as we can as a Council to address this issue, but we simply can’t keep up. We know this problem is occurring in other areas across Victoria too, so we are calling for more support from the Victorian Government to tackle this issue.”
Find out how to claim your hard rubbish pick-ups and recycling facility visits or to report illegal rubbish dumping.