Call to name and shame fly-tippers

Wednesday 08 March 2017

Fly-tippers should be named and shamed as fines are no longer enough of a deterrent, the Minister for Infrastructure has said.

Speaking at a Scrutiny Panel hearing yesterday, Deputy Eddie Noel said that companies guilty of illegal dumping need to be called out.

But the Minister said that help is on its way. The Department for Infrastructure is now in the process of assembling a ‘fly-tipping task force’ to visit known fly-tipping sites in the Island in a bid to stop the practice that has wasted thousands of pounds.

Although undecided on exactly what form it should take, the task force will be funded from revenue generated both by the future commercial waste charge and from the existing budget, allowing it to be created even sooner.

The Department is also looking to gain public support in the ongoing battle, with a potential campaign on its way to encourage islanders to call out bad practice.

“We need to be vigilant, we need islanders to help us identify where it’s happened and to identify people doing it… We should be naming and shaming people for doing fly-tipping,” Deputy Noel said.

‘Love Jersey’ – an app launched by the States of Jersey to facilitate the rapid reporting of pot-holes, dog mess and graffiti amongst other issues – could be part of the solution.

It allows users to simply ‘stand and snap’ to report the problem to the authorities.

The plans come as part of an ongoing battle to help stamp out fly-tipping, which has wasted both public and private sector money.

A fly-tipping incident last year cost the Environment Department £5,000 in order to deal with nine bin bags full of carcinogenic asbestos left in a field near Maufant.

Pictured: The decontamination enclosure erected at the Maufant fly-tipping site. (Photo: Department of the Environment)

Meanwhile, the National Trust told Express in January that the fly-tipping had affected them for more than 14 years, and had resulted in a large financial and man power burden.

“As we are entirely reliant on our members and supporters, it is also unfair that that funding is used for clearing inconsiderate people's waste rather than managing some of Jersey’s most scenic areas for the public and for wildlife as it is intended for,” Lands Manager Jon Parkes commented.