COUNCIL authorities have vowed to catch the culprits who brazenly dumped clandestine hydroponics drug equipment, used syringes and marijuana off-cuts in the middle of a road on the fringe of Mount Gambier.
In one of the biggest illegal dumping incidents discovered by authorities, the culprits strewn kilograms of dumped material onto Chambers and Evans roads at Glenburnie.
The dumped material has infuriated Grant District Council staff who have been sifting through the material that contains hazardous items such as syringes.
In extraordinary scenes, it is understood the offenders drove erratically along the road trying to get a material to fly off the back of a vehicle after tying it to fence posts.
Taking The Border Watch to the site yesterday, council staff are also in flabbergasted that numerous documents revealing the possible identity of the alleged dumper have been left scattered in the piles of rubbish.
Council staff will now use this material – which includes hospital x-ray scans, birthday cards and even an album containing photographs – to track down the alleged offender.
Mount Gambier Police have also been at the site this week.
Grant District Council community ranger Dale Millar – who has been charged with investigating a raft of illegal dumping incidents – said yesterday it appeared illegal dumpers were becoming increasingly brazen.
Mr Millar said he was particularly alarmed by this incident given the material was dumped in the middle of the road, most likely at night.
He warned this could potentially cause an accident for an approaching motorist.
“They appeared to have done wheelies to try and get the material off,” said Mr Millar, who showed the weaving wheel marks on the road.
Explaining there was a distinct smell of cleaning materials, Mr Dale questioned whether the dumpers had recently vacated a property.
“It appears they have pulled together their hydroponic equipment, got rid of all of the marijuana and cleaned-up the house.”
Mr Millar warned potential illegal dumpers that council operated hidden cameras in known hot spots to catch out illegal dumping activity.
“If you see someone with a load of rubbish going out at night, you know they are not going to the tip,” he added.
Grant District Council environmental and health compliance team leader Aaron Price also warned the illegal dumpers would be caught and faced hefty fines or even prosecution.
“People will be caught, especially if they are silly enough to leave their details,” Mr Price said.
“If we find material identify people, then it will be up to them to prove it was not them.”
He said it appeared illegal dumpers were targeting roads on the fringe areas of Mount Gambier where there were less houses and vehicle activity.
“We are still seeing illegal dumping in the district, particularly bigger items such as mattresses, furniture,” Mr Price said.
The council employee called for people to come forward with information about this incident or others across the district.
Mr Price said council now had the headache of cleaning up the material on Chambers Road, which was problematic given the syringes scattered in the bags of rubbish.
Council staff have also recently found more than 40 used syringes – containing blood – in the middle of another road on the fringe areas of Mount Gambier.
People are urged to record vehicle registration numbers of suspicious or illegal activity.
Illegal dumpers face fines of more than $1000 or prosecution through the courts.
