How to report illegal dumping

A mattress on the nature strip, bags of rubbish behind the shops, a load of building rubble tipped down a bush track. Illegal dumping is ugly, it attracts more dumping, and some of it is dangerous. Reporting it is quick, and it's how councils and regulators work out where to put cameras, patrols and fines. Here's where to report in each state, what to include, and what to do if the same spot keeps getting hit.

Safety first

• Don't touch or move it, especially broken sheeting that could contain asbestos, drums or containers of chemicals, syringes, or anything leaking.
• If there are toxic fumes, a large chemical spill or a fire, call 000.
• Don't confront anyone you see dumping. Note what you can from a safe distance: time, vehicle description, number plate, what was dumped.

Where to report illegal dumping

As a rule of thumb, your council deals with everyday dumping on public land: household rubbish, furniture, mattresses and small loads on streets, footpaths and parks. The state environment regulator (usually the EPA) deals with large or commercial dumping, hazardous waste and dumping from businesses. If you're not sure, report to either one: they pass reports to each other.

In NSW, RIDonline is used by councils and government agencies across the state. When you lodge a report, the right council or agency is alerted. For dumped waste that is an immediate threat to people or the environment, call the EPA Environment Line on 131 555.

In Queensland, the state's online form gives you a record number when you submit it. The Queensland Government notes that reports made more than 14 days after the incident may limit its ability to issue a fine, so report promptly.

To find your council's phone number and website, use our council directory. Most councils have a "report illegal dumping" or "report a problem" page, and many accept reports through Snap Send Solve.

What to include in your report

A good report gets the rubbish cleared faster and gives investigators something to work with:

1. Exact location. Street address, the nearest cross street, or a GPS pin. For bushland or tracks, describe the access point.
2. Photos of the waste, from a few angles, with something that shows the size of the pile.
3. What it is. Household rubbish, furniture, green waste, tyres, building materials, or something that could be hazardous.
4. How much. A few bags, a trailer load, a truck load.
5. When. When you first saw it, or when it was dumped if you know.
6. Who, if you saw it. Vehicle make, colour, number plate, company name on the side, and what the people looked like. Evidence that identifies the dumper is the most valuable part of any report.

Keep the reference number. If the rubbish isn't cleared, you'll need it to follow up.

What happens after you report

Usually two things happen, sometimes by different teams. A clean-up crew removes the waste from public land, and an investigation looks for evidence of who dumped it: addresses on letters or parcels in the rubbish, witness details, camera footage or number plates. If the dumper is identified, they can be fined or ordered to clean up, and serious cases can go to court.

How quickly the rubbish goes varies between councils and depends on what it is. Hazardous waste such as asbestos needs specialist removal, which can take longer. If it hasn't been cleared after a reasonable time, follow up quoting your reference number. If you gave your contact details, an investigator may call you, so keep any photos or notes until the matter is closed.

Your report counts even if no one is fined. Councils and regulators use report data to decide where to put cameras, signs and patrols. A spot with many reports gets more attention than one with a single report.

Dumping on private property

If someone dumps rubbish on your land, report it to your council or the state regulator in the same way, with photos and anything that might identify the dumper. The dumper can be fined if they're identified, but in many cases the landowner is responsible for cleaning up waste on their own property. Ask your council what help is available. Some councils will assist with clean-up or have programs for repeat hotspots.

If rubbish is piling up on a neighbour's property rather than being dumped by strangers, that's usually handled as a complaint about the condition of the property. Our complaint letter to council guide has a template for that.

Fines and penalties

Every state has on-the-spot fines and court penalties for littering and illegal dumping, and they are generally much higher for businesses, larger amounts and hazardous waste. The amounts change, so check your state environment regulator's website for current figures rather than relying on numbers you see quoted elsewhere.

When the same spot keeps getting hit

Dumped rubbish attracts more dumping. If the council clears a site and it's piled up again a week later, reporting alone won't fix it. That's the time to ask the council for prevention, not just clean-up. Measures councils commonly use include:

• surveillance cameras at known hotspots,
• warning signs about fines and cameras,
• better lighting, fencing, bollards or gates on access tracks,
• more frequent patrols and faster clean-up, and
• promoting free or low-cost bulky waste collections, which reduce the reason to dump.

Keep a log of each report with dates, photos and reference numbers, then write to the council asking for these measures. Copy in your local councillor, who can push for funding and raise it at a council meeting.

If a lot of people are affected, several letters carry more weight than one. You can start a letter-writing campaign so neighbours can each send their own letter in a few minutes. See our guide to getting council to fix a local problem for more tactics, and how to complain to council if your reports are being ignored.

Send your letter

Online reports are the right tool for each incident. For a repeat problem, a signed letter to the council, backed by your log of reports, asks for a considered response rather than another clean-up. Write it online with Better Letters and we'll print and post it for $3.95, or download the PDF free and post it yourself with your photos.