General News
15 February, 2024
Authorities tyre of dumping
More than 2700 car and truck tyres were found dumped on public land in Victoria last year - and the Wimmera isn't immune to the problem.
More than 2700 car and truck tyres were found dumped on public land in Victoria last year - and the Wimmera isn't immune to the problem.
Horsham Tidy Towns chair David Eltringham OAM has confirmed that many tyres were found during the group's numerous quests over the past 12 months to keep the district clean and tidy.
But many people might not be aware that it costs between $5 and $220 to dispose of a single tyre at the facility for recycling and waste run by Yarriambiack Shire Council - an expense that many people are not willing to factor in, considering the rising cost of living.
"Tyres are an issue," Mr Eltringham confirmed.
"We do a monthly clean-up at the former weighbridge site on the Western Highway near the saleyards, and every month we find a tyre or tyres dumped there."
Mr Eltringham's comments come as authorities are urging Victorian businesses and households to dispose of their used tyres legally.
The Conservation Regulator and Parks Victoria recorded at least 60 separate illegal dumping incidents involving commercial or personal quantities of tyres across Victorian public land in 2023, with the state’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) estimating thousands more had been burned, dumped or stockpiled.
Dumped car tyres can have serious impacts on environmental and human health.
Old tyres contain harmful chemicals that leach into the environment and groundwater as they break down, potentially poisoning animals and plants.
Discarded tyres also are a fire risk as tyre fires are harder to control or extinguish than regular fires.
As rubber burns hotter and more easily, tyres dumped in forests can fuel bushfires with devastating effects.
Individual or small quantities of tyres can be responsibly disposed of at recycling centres (such as local council transfer stations) for a fee so that they can be repurposed.
Through the council it costs $5 to dispose of a light tyre, $15 for medium or $45 for heavy, $90 for a tractor tyre up to 1.5m in diameter and $190 for a tractor tyre over 1.5m in diameter.
These prices are for the tyre only, with the rim costing extra.
Mr Eltringham said these costs could contribute to the dumping.
"There is a fairly hefty charge to take them to the right disposal point, such as the recycling or transfer station, and they have to be properly shredded," he said.
"But I guess it's cost-prohibitive for some people."
In Victoria, under the Environment Protection Act 2017 it is an offence to dump litter or waste, with maximum penalties ranging between $3846 and $230,772.
The public can report illegal dumping on public land to 136 186 or to EPA Victoria on 1300 372 842.