ILLEGAL dumpers have struck Sheldon for the second time in less than a week, prompting renewed calls for offenders to be caught as Redland City Council continues to battle a costly and growing problem.
Division 9 councillor Jason Colley took to social media after another load of building waste was dumped on Avalon Rd on June 9, describing the incident as both dangerous and expensive for ratepayers.
Speaking to the Local Redland Bayside News, Cr Colley said he had inspected the area and found evidence of multiple recent dumping incidents along the road.
“There are multiple sites where you can see where this sort of stuff’s been dumped recently,” he said.
The latest incident comes as Council figures reveal Redlands ratepayers spent $115,000 cleaning up illegally dumped waste in 2024.
Council received 399 requests for investigations into illegal dumping in the 12 months to the end of April 2026 and issued 20 infringement notices as part of its compliance operations.
Cr Colley said the key to stopping the problem was identifying and prosecuting offenders.
“The best deterrent is catching people and prosecuting them,” he said.
“If we can demonstrate that we find somebody, and my understanding is that the fines are quite significant, that’s probably going to be the best deterrent.”
While Council already has surveillance measures in place at some locations, Cr Colley said enforcement depended on successfully identifying offenders.
“The issue is in the identification,” he said.
Illegal dumping continues to place a significant burden on ratepayers, with funds diverted from other community priorities.
“Every year, thousands of ratepayer dollars are spent on cleaning up illegally dumped waste,” Cr Colley said.
“Further money is then spent on fixing infrastructure and natural areas impacted by dumping.”
He said residents should be able to expect better behaviour from members of the community.
“We don’t want to be spending money on this,” he said.
“Most residents act responsibly and contribute to building a good community, not causing damage to others and to our environment by taking selfish actions and irresponsible actions like this.”
Avalon Rd has already been identified by Council as one of the city’s dumping hotspots, alongside Days Rd in Redland Bay and West Mount Cotton Rd in Sheldon.
Cr Colley said the latest incident also posed a direct safety risk to road users.
“There was certainly some of the concrete left on the road surface itself, so if somebody wasn’t paying attention or was travelling at speed, it could have caused an accident and potential disaster,” he said.
Council data shows reports of illegal dumping have increased each financial year between 2022-2023 and 2024-2025, with offenders targeting both rural roadsides and newer development areas.
Illegal dumping around charity donation bins has also become an increasing concern.
Green waste remains the most dumped material in Redland City, followed by soil and fill, and household waste.
Cr Colley said Avalon Rd’s location on the boundary of three local government areas added complexity to enforcement efforts.
Council says it is using patrols, surveillance cameras and compliance investigations to identify offenders and deter future incidents.
Serious offenders can face infringement notices of up to $8,143.20, while major offences can be prosecuted through the courts.
Residents can report illegal dumping through Redland City Council or the Queensland Government’s online reporting system.
