Litter Control A Load Of Rubbish

By Duncan Horscroft on November 17, 2010 in News

Bronte Rubbish Tip

We are all fed up with the mountains of crap left in our parks and beaches by weekend partygoers, but most of us are also fed up with the insufficient efforts by Waverley Council to do anything about it.

All along our coastal walks are signs telling us there is no alcohol allowed, dogs must be on leashes, no smoking, littering is an offence… and on it goes.

But do we ever see the council rangers doing anything about it? No!

Littering is deemed an offence, not just in parks and beaches, but anywhere. Consumption of alcohol in a public place is also not allowed.

The fine for littering is $200 and for consumption of alcohol it’s $110.

Not a bad earn, especially for a council that is screaming poor and about to increase our rates on top of the recent hundred percent hike in our beach parking permits.

Are the rangers too scared to approach anyone face-to-face and issue fines for breaching the law, or are they just content to prance around in their storm-trooper uniforms, leaping from behind trees to nail some unsuspecting motorist who has had the audacity to stop in the wrong spot?

The council said in a recent story in the Wentworth Courier that the rangers were authorised to issue fines for littering and alcohol consumption, but “generally warned offenders” or called police if any group became anti-social.

Well if this is the case, why the hell give the rangers the authority in the first place?

Recently at Bronte Beach I witnessed one of the lifeguards grab hold of an unleashed dog and when the owner was approached he told the lifeguard to “mind your own business and concentrate on rescuing people, not dogs”.

This was after the hound had bounded up the steps beside the surf club to deposit a steaming calling card on the pavement.

A council ranger was called and when the lifeguard pointed out the owner sitting in a cafe across the road, the ranger just shrugged and did nothing.

Where was the digital camera that is used every time a motorist commits the heinous crime of overstaying a parking meter?

Smoking on the beach is another no-no that continually goes unchallenged.

And what about the truckloads of butts left by smokers who stand outside buildings for a puff?

I see it in Surry Hills all the time, where groups of people congregate outside an office for smoko and just stub the cigarettes out on the footpath.

More often than not a Sydney City Council ranger is seen walking past these groups, concentrating on boosting the coffers with parking revenue rather than worrying about the effects this rubbish will eventually have on our waterways.

It’s time the councils stood up and adopted a heavy-handed attitude and started fining these people without any warning whatsoever.

Hitting people in the hip-pocket would go long way toward making them more aware.

And the money raised might even help ease the WFC – Waverley Financial Crisis!