Frequently Asked Questions

Queensland’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 identifies litter and illegal dumping offences as:

Littering
Littering is the unlawful act of dumping waste less than 200 litres in volume on public or private land or natural waterways where there is no approval to accept such waste.

Dangerous littering is unlawful act of dumping waste less than 200 litres in volume that might or likely to cause harm to public and environment. Common examples are:

• throwing cigarette onto dry grass that might cause fire
• smashing bottle and leaving them on footpath
• leaving used syringe in public space

Illegal dumping
Illegal dumping is the unlawful act of dumping waste more than 200 litres in volume on public land or private land or natural waterways where there is no approval to accept such waste. 

Some common examples of illegal dumping are:

• dumping general rubbish or green waste or household items at public park or at bushland or roadsides or waterways
• dumping unwanted household items like furniture or mattress or white goods on the kerbside when there is no council pick up
• overfilling public or charitable bins
• dumping waste outside gate or boundary of waste facilities (resource recovery centres)
• dumping tyres or car bodies at bushland
• dumping commercial waste at bushland 
• dumping concrete or asbestos waste 
• dumping hazardous chemicals

Council spends a significant amount of time, effort and money cleaning up and disposing of waste safely to protect the community from the economic, environmental and social impacts of illegal dumping and littering. These illegal behaviours have the capacity to: 

• Pollute the air
• Pollute both ground and surface water
• Alter normal water stream courses leading to flooding and erosion during heavy storm events
• Increase the risk of unwanted weeds and pests
• Cause offensive odours in the atmosphere.
• Impose human health and safety hazards 
• Contribute to ozone layer damage 
• Reduce the aesthetic value of public places and deter people from visiting those places
• Create environments where mosquitoes can breed
• Attract further dumping and other criminal activities at a particular site
• Create fire hazards

You can report illegal littering or dumping to Central Highlands Region Council or directly to the Queensland Government. 

Please see below for contact details: 

Central Highlands Regional Council 
Ph. 1300 242 686
Email to enquiries@chrc.qld.gov.au
Visit the website for more options

Queensland Government
Ph. 13 74 68
Email to illegaldumping@des.qld.gov.au
Online form

Please be prepared to provide as many details as possible. For example, where applicable, the following information may be important: 

• time and date of the incident
• place and address
• description of the location (roadways, bushland, industrial area)
• vehicle registration number and State of registration
• colour of vehicle
• make of vehicle
• any distinctive feature of vehicle such as scratch, dents, and sticker
• description of person (location in the vehicle, clothing, gender, hair, colour)
• type of waste
• quantity of waste such as one trailer, one boot, one bag
• where the waste was deposited from (front or back passenger or driver)
• where you are located during the incident
• photos of the incident if possible

Please keep the safety of yourself and those around you in mind when reporting an incident. It is illegal to use a mobile phone while operating a vehicle. 

Reports of illegal littering or dumping are investigated by council or the Department of Environment and Science. 

A Penalty Infringement Notice (PIN) may be issued under the Waste Reduction and Recycling (WRR) Act 2011, if necessary. A compliance notice for the clean-up of the illegal dumping may also be issued. This may include collection, transportation, storage, treatment, and/or disposal of the waste. 

The financial penalties for illegal littering and dumping are outlined here. 

Non compliance 

If a person fails to comply with a compliance notice, they may face further penalties. It is an offence to provide false or misleading information. Fines will be issued for providing false information.