By ERWIN CHLANDA
“As with all reports of illegal dumping, we arrange for a contractor to remove the waste as soon as possible.”
This statement from the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics points to a simple solution to a growing and mostly ignored problem in Alice Springs.
However it ain’t all that easy.
The News picked one of the hundreds of sites to see how the system works.
Downloading the app is simple, of course, and we entered the details:–
The location (west of the Road Transport Hall of Fame, across the railway line, reading off the coordinates from Google Earth).
A description of the rubbish which we have seen many times over the years, in this otherwise beautiful place for a walk.
A photograph (we used a screen shot from Google Earth in the submission. The photo at top is the same location, photographed on the ground).
This is how the issues were represented in the app:-
Reporter of NeatStreetsCommunity … report sent from mobile Sat Jun 12, 2021 12:49pm.
Bruce of NeatStreets 23° 46’ 30.79” S / 133° 51’ 32.86” E.
Authority changed from (Neat Streets) to Alice Springs (T) (NT)). Sun Jun 13, 2021 1:31pm.
Bruce of NeatStreets. Email sent to Alice Springs Town Council. Sun Jun 13, 2021 1:31pm.
Bruce of NeatStreets; Status updated from (New – Investigating) to (Acknowledged – Authority Notified). Sun Jun 13, 2021 1:32pm.
We did not suggest to involve the Town Council – that was the decision of NeatStreets.
What next, we asked the council. A council spokesman replied: The notification is “forwarded onto the relevant department within Council to investigate.
“That department will investigate the submission and if it’s found to be on Council land (i.e. not Crown Land) then that department will address the issue and resolve it.
“If it’s found that the submission comes under a non-Council department (e.g. it’s on Crown Land, or it’s the responsibility of Power and Water etc.) then it is forwarded on to that particular department.
“In either case, once the job has been resolved it’s my understanding that the person who submitted it will receive a notification.”
We will keep you posted.
I know someone who reported rubbish dumping along Ross River, even found person’s info in the rubbish. Approached town council, not interested, too hard to legally take guilty person to court.
I personally have rung Crown Land many times over the years to report rubbish.
Yes, the rubbish is still there, and you NEVER hear back from Crown Land or council, so good luck.