A waste warrior says illegally dumping is an “ongoing problem” after more than 20 tyres were found dumped on a main road in Lara.
Photos show more than 20 tyres were dumped along Canterbury Ed east.
It is not known when they were dumped, or by who, but locals said on via social media they believed a commercial business was responsible.
Earlier this year, Beach Patrol 3220 co-leader Wes Prosser spent 10 days clearing more than 1000 tyres from the former Alcoa site at Point Henry.
He said this particular dumping of tyres was just the “tip of the iceberg”.
“It’s an ongoing problem for council, it’s not just tyres, it is all forms of things like couches and larger items that should have been properly dealt with but aren’t,” Mr Prosser said.
“Every time I go out, it seems like there is a new spot where somebody has dumped something.
“The tyres in Lara might be a bit more obvious because they are on a main road … but all you need to do is go down a less used road and you will see piles and piles of rubbish.”
Wes Prosser removed over 1000 dumped car tyres from the Point Henry earlier this year. He said the tyres dumped on a Lara main road is “not an isolated issue”. Picture: Brad Fleet
Mr Prosser said most people chose to dump their waste because they claimed the cost of going to the tip was “too much”.
“Having said that, I had witnessed people trying to dump stuff that is recyclable or green waste and that is free to take to the tip,” he said.
“What is boils down to is people are lazy … they just want to get rid of it and don’t want to sort through it.”
City of Greater Geelong acting director of city infrastructure David Greaves said the tyres were reported to council and had been removed.
“Illegally dumped rubbish is an issue for many councils, and costs Geelong ratepayers around $1m per year,” he said.
“Tyres are a commonly dumped item, often in large quantities, which is incredibly disappointing given the environmental impact … please just don’t do it.”
This article contains features which are only available in the web versionTake me there
A spokesman from the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) said tyre stockpiles are a hazard to the community.
“They can lead to fires that are very difficult to control. Tyre fires generate hazardous smoke, which can cause a health risk … through the inhalation of particles and chemicals,” the spokesman said.
Geelong council offer two free hard waste collections to all residential properties each year and waste can also be dropped off at our Resource Recovery Centres in North Geelong and Drysdale.
Dumping rubbish can be reported to Geelong council online or by calling 5272 5272.
Loading embed…