Three cheers for DERM! The behaviour of grubs who dump their rubbish at bushland spots on Magnetic Island might begin the change. As of Thursday 1st December 2011, the Departmental of Environmental & Resource Management (DERM) have introduced a new online reporting tool for litter and illegal dumping offences that allows anybody with access to the internet to immediately report dumpers.

Queensland is the most littered mainland Australian state, according to the 2011 National Litter Index compiled by Keep Australia Beautiful. The commonest offenders are smokers who drop cigarette butts and road users throw out an estimated 20,000 cubic metres of rubbish along our roads every year and Queensland was the only state where both litter volume and number of items increased from 2010.

Of course the biggest losers from these tossers tends to be wildlife and, in our area, marine life. When marine animals mistake these items for food, they block their digestive tracts, killing them slowly and painfully. In addition, when creatures get caught up in plastic, they can become injured or strangled.

Now, the new Act provides everyone with the ability to report littering and illegal dumping associated with a motor vehicle, trailer or vessel – encouraging Queenslanders to ‘do the right thing’ and dispose of waste properly.

According to DERM, it is important that as much information as possible is included on the report, allowing DERM to assess the matter and issue a penalty infringement notice (PIN).

To lodge the form online, the following information will be required:

*The registration number of the vehicle, vessel or trailer (or car towing the trailer)

*The type of vehicle—whether it was a vehicle, vessel or trailer

*Which part of the vehicle the waste came from—e.g. the driver’s window, passenger side or from a trailer.

*Where and when the littering occurred—e.g. time, place, street, name of park or closest jetty

*The type of waste that was littered—e.g. cigarette butt, bottle, paper, take-away container.

The following information will allow DERM to further pursue this complaint or present it in court if required:

*Description of vehicle—e.g. a dark blue Ford station wagon or rusty red trailer

*Whether the waste was thrown, dropped or wind-blown, or disposed of by another method.

If there is any doubt as to the authenticity of a report, DERM will not issue the PIN. Statutory declarations found to contain untrue statements or information will not be acted upon. It is a criminal offence to knowingly make a false statement and such statements may be referred to police.

When a littering or illegal dumping report is received from someone, it is assessed by DERM to ensure the information is correct and valid. The vehicle registration is verified and a PIN may issued to the registered vehicle owner.

For lots more information (click here)


And to go straight to the online reporting form (click here)