- The government has introduced a fleet of drones to target illegal trash dumping
- Drones will focus on the remote areas that the investigators cannot safely search
- Penalties for illegal dumping include up to $1 million in fines and even gaol time
- Environmental Protection Agency have ‘taken privacy concerns into account’
The government is trialing a new way to target an old bad habit – unleashing a fleet of drones to seek out people dumping their trash out in the bush.
The drones will patrol remote areas to the south of Sydney, and bust people throwing their rubbish into one of the region’s secret wastelands.
‘We will be onto you sooner,’ environment minster Gabrielle Upton told 9NEWS. ‘There is nowhere that you can hide your illegal acts.’
In one instance, investigators found a ‘secret wasteland’ that couldn’t be seen from the ground
Environment minster Gabrielle Upton: ‘There is nowhere that you can hide your illegal acts’
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is behind the statewide push to monitor dumping hot spots and protect officers from venturing into dangerous areas.
In one instance, investigators found a ‘secret wasteland’ containing old vehicles, car tires, electrical goods and building supplies down the side of a cliff – a location almost impossible for them to reach.
Ms Upton called the introduction of the drones ‘a no-brainer’ to keep the community safe, despite some privacy concerns being raised.
‘It’s a balance between protecting people’s privacy and the EPA being able to gather evidence,’ EPA’s Mark Gifford said, adding that the guidelines for drone use are available for public scrutiny.
The government is trialing a fleet of drones to target people dumping their trash in the bush
Environmental Protection Agency boss Mark Gifford has ‘taken privacy concerns into account’
Illegal rubbish dumping in Australia carries a steep fine of up to $1 million & possible gaol time
But illegal rubbish dumping in Australia is not confined to remote bushland.
CCTV cameras often catch people dumping contaminated material like asbestos on the city streets late at night, while some are caught in the act by witnesses.
Illegal dumping ‘hotspots’ closer to the city include Randwick, Campbelltown, Parramatta, Fairfield, Camden and Blacktown.
The penalties for illegally leaving trash anywhere range from serious fines to goal time. The maximum fine is $1 million.