Municipality barricades against illegal dumping
To emphasise his point, a resident visited the Newcastle Advertiser last week with photograph evidence of continued dumping in Aviary Hill.
The municipality responded this week to dumping and degradation of Peacock Crescent.
In last week’s edition, the Newcastle Advertiser reported on the littered state of Peacock Crescent and the damaged state of roads in that portion of Aviary Hill.
On Monday, official municipal response was given via email.
Dr Dumisani Thabethe, Customer Relations Manager for Newcastle Municipality, said the area was cleaned twice in one week.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult to gather resources to clear up this area.”
He explained the Peacock Crescent area was not a dump, and urged residents to dispose of refuse at licensed facilities.
Dr Thabethe also agreed dumping was a problem in Newcastle as a whole.
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“The community is of the view that it is a prerogative of the municipality to clear up wherever they dump – this is a wrong perception.”
Dr Thabethe said residents should not dump in any open space, only at licensed sites or drop-off facilities, which were accessible to households free of charge.
The municipality has since closed off the problem portion of Peacock Crescent.
Sites which are abused will also be barricaded to prevent illegal dumping, and garden skips which are abused will be removed if necessary.
“We have repeatedly said [dumping] is a social behaviour and people need to change their approach.”
To emphasise his point, a resident visited the Newcastle Advertiser last week with photograph evidence of continued dumping in Aviary Hill.
He had noticed a vehicle heading onto Peacock Crescent and followed it.
After determining the occupants of the vehicle were dumping garden refuse – including a small tree – on Peacock Crescent, the resident took a picture and confronted the dumping offenders.
He said they gave no response, and simply sped away.
“The municipality should have people watching out for these ‘dumpers’ and telling them not to dump there,” the resident concluded.
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