Laws and penalties
The Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 (the Act) includes a range of offences for littering and illegal dumping, including:
- general littering
- littering from a vehicle
- dangerous littering
- illegal dumping
- failing to clean up waste
The Act defines what is to be classed as illegal dumping and what is to be classed as littering based on the quantity of the waste deposited.
| Waste descriptor | Volume |
|---|---|
| Litter (cigarette butts, fishing tackle, fast food wrappers, etc) | <200L |
| Illegal dumping (mattress, bath tubs, bulk items, etc) | >200L |
Local Governments and the Department of Environment and Science (DES) have a shared responsibility for littering and illegal dumping enforcement. Authorised officers from Council and DES can issue fines and direction notices to offenders of littering and illegal dumping.
For further information regarding illegal dumping and littering please see the Illegal dumping and littering fact sheet.