Highway dump warning
Tonnes of green waste have been allegedly illegally dumped across a one kilometre stretch of scrub land just off the Great Northern Highway in Port Hedland.
It is believed companies may be using the area, about 10km out of town, to avoid council tip fees, which range between $44.45 and $77.64 a tonne for green waste.
Town of Port Hedland chief executive Mal Osborne acknowledged there was an illegal dumping issue across the community and said harsh penalties and on-the-spot fines of up to $2000 applied to those found committing the offence.
Dirty Deeds Property Services in Port Hedland was caught by council rangers attempting to dump green waste at the illegal site in December.
Owner Dean Uink is due to front the charges in South Hedland Magistrate's Court next month.
"We care about the bush and the environment, it was a one-off incident for us," he said.
"Clearly, on the day you could see there's a history of other people being out there."
The _North West Telegraph _was unable to contact the traditional owners of the land where the waste was being dumped but understands some Kariyarra elders were upset and were working with the council to prevent any future occurrences. Mr Osborne said the landfill was free for community members and there was "no excuse for material being dumped".
