Sometimes, it feels like even the places we hold dear can't escape the effects of the modern world. Whether it's our once bustling city streets now struggling to keep up with online retail giants or the beautiful Australian suburbs we've come to know and love, we must admit change has started to affect them all.

But in the case of this affluent Aussie suburb, the change is less to do with modern-day progress and more so a matter of a sudden and unexpected transformation into a literal dumping ground.

In the suburb of Dee Why, within Sydney's Northern Beaches region, a concerned resident recently shared a photo of a disgraceful kerbside eyesore in a Facebook community group. The rubbish pile extended along the front perimeter of a block of units on Pacific Parade, blocking the footpath and essentially closing it to pedestrian traffic.

In anguished disbelief, the concerned Dee Why resident asked those responsible, 'Who raised you?' The rubbish heap contained everything from broken scooters and washing baskets to unwanted office chairs and filthy old mattresses.

Locals are fed up with bulky goods being dumped in their neighbourhood. Credit: Facebook.

The illegal dumping incurred the wrath of hundreds of angry locals, with some deeming the perpetrators 'animals'. Residents questioned where the perpetrators' pride in their beautiful beaches had gone.

Others pointed out that these situations typically arise as a result of a snowball effect — once one person decides to add an item to the pile, everyone else does too.

As locals demanded the local council intervene, some placed the blame on the council's bulky goods collection policy itself. They called for a change in the out-of-date council clean-up policy to reflect the needs of the community better. One resident suggested, 'Put an end to bulky goods [collection]. Delete the consumer mindset. Offer one small load per year.'

In response to the outcry, the Northern Beaches Council was notified on Friday and promptly took action. Rangers removed the illegally dumped items on Saturday, and the council has even appointed a full-time illegal dumping coordinator to help combat this growing issue.

Illegal dumping is not just an eyesore but a serious public safety issue in Australia. It not only restricts footpath access, but it can also damage the environment, harm wildlife and native flora, as well as pose significant risks to human health.

As such, adding rubbish to other people's bulky goods piles or placing materials on the curbside without a clean-up booking is illegal dumping, and fines may apply.

For those caught illegally dumping rubbish, on-the-spot fines of up to $7,500 for individuals and $15,000 for corporations can be enforced. More serious offences could potentially result in penalties as large as $5 million.

The council is urging residents to report any dumped material, whether the person responsible is known or not, so action can be taken to identify the person or business involved and arrange the removal of the dumped material.

If you have items that can't be reused or recycled, they can be disposed of through the council's bulky goods collection service or taken to a local Resource Recovery Centre.

Key Takeaways

• Residents of an affluent Sydney suburb, Dee Why, demanded local council intervention after the area became a rubbish dump.
• The dumping drew condemnation from hundreds of angry locals, with some blaming the council's bulky goods collection policy for the mess.
• Northern Beaches Council removed the dumped items and has appointed a full-time illegal dumping coordinator to help prevent future incidents.
• Illegal dumping is a serious offence in NSW, with on-the-spot fines of up to $7,500 for individuals and $15,000 for corporations.

We understand how frustrating it is to see the neighbourhoods we cherish transformed by careless actions, but let's use this situation as a reminder to be the change we want to see in our communities. It's essential that we all play our part in conserving the beauty of local suburbs and prevent scenes like this from becoming a common occurrence.

Has anything like this ever happened in your suburb or neighbourhood? If so, what did you and your neighbours do about it? And did the local council lend a hand? We're all ears and eager to hear your stories.

 

[Mina vriesekolk]

I thought Dee Why was a good area . My husband used to work there about 35 yrs ago . Why did the council let it get that far , it looks like a real dump , hope they get their act together , the tourists will have to find a nicer place to go . Not a real good advertisement . Only one thing the people sleeping in parks maybe can find a mattress to sleep on , they do not care it is dirty or not .

 

[Cyberchook]

Grubs. I bet most are not dumped by the locals. I also consider this liberty as the persons who sneakily toss things in your free annual Council pile pick-up or hired skip. If they asked first, they might find decent people may not object to a few, a FEW things, included in them. Not their large items. I am not sure about those living in apartment buildings if they have excess interior refuse, but surely there is some arrangement for disposal with the Body Corporate?

 

[PepeLePew]

I live in the Brisbane area in Qld and we have a yearly footpath clean up so any unwanted items etc go out then to be collected. There are some exceptions that won't be collected; such as Gas Bottles, Car parts & Tires and Dirt/Stones/Rocks/Bricks or Green Waste. Green waste is expected to go into green waste bins but only home owners can pay the extra fee to have them on their properties and those who rent aren't entitled to one unless their Landlord pays for the bin.

 

[Trudi]

Some years ago I evicted a tenant from hell from a townhouse that I owned at the time. They piled a huge mountain of rubbish on the nature strip outside the complex in addition to filling three bins (rubbish, recyclable and green waste) with rubbish.

I had to hire the largest skip I could get and filled that to the top. I also had to empty the bins to remove rubbish from the recycling and green bins.

It was a nightmare and that was before I got to clean the mess inside the house!

 

[KSS]

I live in this council area and part of this is a direct result of the changes council made to its bulky goods collection policy. Before the changes, there were two scheduled pick-ups a year. They were well publicised and everyone put out their rubbish when the dates neared. There used to be salvage people who would do the rounds before collection and take various items such as metal, wood, appliances etc. Then came the changes making the resident responsible for arranging their own collections. Each household gets two a year. You ring up to make an appointment and it may take 304 weeks before the pick-up can happen. The area is also heavy with units and people come and go from these all the time. Much of the time the pick-ups are not convenient for the tenants so they just move out dumping their stuff on the pavement. Then because there is no pick-up and the longer it stays other people dump their own unwanted stuff on top. When you report it, a ranger goes and has a look. They are particularly looking for identification e.g. names and addresses. 99.999 times out of a hundred there is none. Collection is arranged and the area tidied up, until the next tenant moves out a few weeks later. I report these piles all the time via the Snap, Send, Solve app. Residents of the area can also take their stuff to the tip but then they have to pay AND there are things that they won't accept. Why would tenants pay when dumping it means council takes for free. And under those circumstances, council also takes items they usually refuse such as electrical appliances like TVs matresses etc. The whole system needs a serious rethink.

 

[KSS]

Grubs. I bet most are not dumped by the locals. I also consider this liberty as the persons who sneakily toss things in your free annual Council pile pick-up or hired skip. If they asked first, they might find decent people may not object to a few, a FEW things, included in them. Not their large items. I am not sure about those living in apartment buildings if they have excess interior refuse, but surely there is some arrangement for disposal with the Body Corporate?

Body corporates are NOT responsible for clearing residents' rubbish that is the responsibility of the owner/tenant. Unfortunately, many units are rented and the tenants just do not care. When they move in and out they stuff their rubbish in the rubbish bins or just leave their stuff on the grass verge or on common property. Through the body corporate we now charge the owner if we have to arrange the rubbish removal.