Neighbours' ongoing battle against man's rubbish-dump yard
A home in Sydney’s south is overflowing with rubbish and neighbours are fed up with the owner who ignores repeated fines from the local council.
A Current Affair visited the home after neighbours got in contact, complaining that Emmanuel’s yard was making them concerned for their safety.
One resident told the program they had found snakes on their property and suspect it’s due to the hoards of rubbish in Emmanuel’s home.
“We have snakes,” the neighbour told channel Nine reporter Brady Halls, adding that they were concerned as they have children.
The front yard is covered in books, bottles and old cars filled with rubbish, spilling out onto the street.
Georges River Council has reportedly taken the man to court three times to force him to clean up his yard and while each time Emmanuel has followed orders, neighbours told ACA it’s not long before the mess returns and it’s usually worse each time.
"He's been asked to clean it up, he's got fined, and now he's come back with an absolute and utter vengeance," one neighbour said.
While ACA filmed, Emmanuel’s friend Gale showed up to assist the man who claimed he was in the middle of moving the rubbish but as the cameras rolled and his friend tried to place wet books in a recycling bin, Emmanuel became upset.
“Stop it, will you, will you stop? Can you get out? Get out,” Emmanuel said to Gale.
Gale told the program that she understands the neighbours’ frustration and described Emmanuel’s behaviour as an “addiction”.
"I understand how they feel, it's not nice to look at, and [it affects] property values, and [there’s] also health risks," she said.
Georges River Council reportedly told ACA they are preparing evidence for the next court action against Emmanuel.
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