The top gripes residents have about cleanliness of their suburbs
Reports of illegal dumping and abandoned trolleys have gone up year on year. Photo: Snap Send Solve
Dumped rubbish, abandoned trolleys and sewer leaks are among the grubby eyesores Australians are most frustrated about seeing on their streets.
That’s according to Snap Send Solve, an Australian app used by local governments to let residents report problems to their councils in real time.
Felicia, a 25-year-old from Perth who did not want her last name published, works in the parks department of her local council, and has grown tired of seeing huge amounts of dumped rubbish in her area.
“It frustrates me because we could be spending hours cleaning it up and I wish people actually cared about the impact that they’re having on the environment,” she told TND.
Tweet from @SnapSendSolve
“This rubbish [in the industrial area] is near a lake and this rubbish would be entering it.
“You don’t know what is in the rubbish, you don’t know what could be leaching into the waterways [and] how it’s affecting our native birds.”
She said ducks in Western Australia are experiencing botulism, which can be a result of food waste not being disposed of properly and can leave birds paralysed and ill.
When studying, she realised that something as simple as trash left on the roadside could have devastating effects on the environment, which only motivates her to do her part.
“I want to do so much more but I’m only myself and I can only do so much,” she said.
People can report cars parked illegally or dumped rubbish through Snap Send Solve.
“But even just contributing a little bit like every single day at work, I’m picking up rubbish and it’s I feel like I’m making a difference and it’s extremely rewarding.”
Most commonly reported environmental issues
According to Snap Send Solve, reports of environmental issues have increased 38 per cent year on year.
The top environmental issues reported in Australia in March this year were:
- Dumped rubbish – 40,942 reports
- Abandoned trolleys – 36,802 reports
- Litter – 3852 reports
- Dumped tyres – 2226 reports
- General pollution – 1766 reports
- Sewer – leak and spill – 549 reports
For Felicia, who wants to leave the world a better place for the sake of her daughter and generations to come, said she just wants people to do their part.
“You may think that it’s quick and easy to get rid of the tyres or dumped rubbish but at the end of the day, you could be doing it yourself and making such a big difference if you are following the correct steps or the correct protocols,” she said.
“It just becomes someone else’s problem when people just get rid of it illegally.”
She wishes more local governments would get serious about environmental problems, so issues could be resolved more quickly.