Dumping ground. Endeavour Hills resident Allan Softley has called on the council to install a bin at a local meeting spot. Picture: Luke Plummer.
By Rebecca Fraser
SYRINGES, bongs, alcohol bottles and even ladies’ knickers are just some of the discarded items walkers in Endeavour Hills are confronted with weekly.
Allan Softley has lived in the suburb for 17 years and said he was sick of rubbish being dumped along a walkway and vacant site on Hallam North Road just past Gleneagles Drive.
The 63-year-old and his wife have walked the track for the past six years and said the site was a common meeting place for young people.
As a result, Mr Softley said, rubbish, in particular glass bottles and takeaway wrappings, were regularly being dumped.
Mr Softley said he understood that young people needed a place to meet but called on council to provide a bin so people could dispose of their rubbish responsibly.
He also said council needed to conduct more regular clean-up patrols.
The regular walker said he had also spotted bongs and syringes at the site and in recent times he even noticed a pair of women’s pants and underwear on the ground.
“It has become a bit of a party spot,” he said.
Mr Softley said the police also needed to make their presence felt at the spot to deter any anti-social behaviour and associated littering.
“The police just need to pull up and make their presence felt and make them aware that they are in the area,” he said.
He said gates at the site had also been damaged by people driving cars into them.
Mr Softley retired early due to injury but has worked for three councils in waste collection and as a street cleaner.
“They need to put a 44-litre bin in. When the Commonwealth Games were in Lysterfield there was not a scrap of rubbish. We need to keep this momentum going,” he said.
Mr Softley said the number plates of litter dumpers needed to also be collected as well as any litter that might help identify people.
“People need to be held accountable for this and council needs a clean-up crew in the area,” he said.
Mr Softley raised his concerns in public question time at last week’s council meeting.
Casey manager engineering and environmental services David Richardson at the time said the site was isolated and bins would encourage people to dump in and around the bin.
He reiterated these comments this week.
“It would create a worse situation. Unfortunately people will dump rubbish irrespective of whether there is a bin or not. There is no easy solution and ultimately the solution is education. If a bin would work we would put it there straightaway. Dead-end roads are notorious for rubbish dumping but we do try to hold people accountable and we encourage people to ring up and report rubbish dumping,” Mr Richardson said.
