By ERWIN CHLANDA
The Town Council relies on the app NeatStreets to deal with the extensive illegal dumping of rubbish in the municipality but the online tool has its problems.
Warber Court resident Neil Woolcock is among the many locals disgusted with the repulsive behaviour of some fellow citizens but he does more than complain.
Last year, between May 30 and July 20, he exchanged eight emails with the Senior Project Officer, Crown Land Estate, Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics (DIPL) in Alice Springs and made about 10 phone call to her until the problem was fixed – partly.
He estimates about one-quarter of the rubbish was left to blow around in the wind.
The officer made one dumper clean up when an envelope with name and address was found in the pile, says Mr Woolcock.
He spots dumped rubbish on Crown Land when he walks his dog in the Albrecht Drive area.
And now the dumpers are back – see photos taken by Mr Woolcock this week.
His efforts are running into red tape, not the least being that during his extensive dealings with the bureaucracy to keep his neighbourhood clean, no-one has bothered to tell him about NeatStreets.
The first he heard of it was when he spoke with the News this morning. Neither did he know that the first port of call needs to be the council, via NeatStreets.
The official management of illegal dumping starts with downloading NeatStreets to your mobile.
On that you can enter the type of rubbish, its location plus a photo and this is forwarded to the council.
The reports range from dangerous trees, graffiti, holes in the footpath, missing signs and –most seriously – dumped rubbish: “Intersection becoming dumping ground. Businesses need to dispose of their refuse properly, like the rest of us.”
The council then either fixes the problems or apportions the fixing-up jobs to the responsible authorities.
In the case of Crown Land that is the Crown, aka DIPL.
That’s where the problem appears to sit. For example, rubbish about two kilometres west of the Road Transport Hall of Fame, reported (via NeatStreets by the News) on June 12, 2021, is still there. That’s on Crown Land.
The council, according to the report to its February meeting, referred to DIPL six reports in October last year, four in November and 13 in December.
DIPL has not responded to a question from the News of what has been done about these reports.
According to NeatStreets, since October last year there were 28 reports from Alice Springs in the category “Closed. Fixed By Authority” and 16 in “Acknowledged, Authority Notified”.
Minor categories include Misdirected, Other Authority Applies, Closed, Private Property.
The majority of NeatStreet cases in the second quarter of 2022/23, in the council report, is under “Depot” meaning the council needs to fix them.
There were 96 of these in October (41 completed), 135 in November (51) and 167 in December (75). Most of the outstanding ones are currently being attended to, says a council spokesman.
In Melbourne we use an app called Snap, Send, Solve. It has worked for me in many locations to have action taken.
For this and many other problems that need reporting to councils, local utility companies or other companies like Coles and Woolworths for dumped trollies.
Good on you Neil for your persistence with the rubbish dumping problem.
Erwin. I was informed to update my Neat Street app to Snap Send Solve? I presume Council receive both. A brilliant app. But then still some issues get put in too hard basket.
Eg I noticed last night. An damaged access hole cover near DuYu roastery, Hele Crescent, reported last July? It’s still not fixed.
Someone could easily get their foot stuck in it. So I guess as caring citizens we continue to report issues and hope they eventually get resolved.
The Undoolya rubbish tip remains and now enhanced since reporting via your pages, Erwin.
In response, a single visit was made which collected a pile that could be seen from Undoolya Road. The serious stuff is on the myriad tracks further in.
As stated earlier, this phenomenon has gathered momentum only in recent years