New litter laws coming as garbage crisis worsens

New laws aimed at cracking down on litterbugs and illegal dumping are expected to be tabled before the end of the year, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie has announced.

McKenzie said the proposed legislation will target people who deliberately throw garbage in public spaces and are careless about how they dispose of their waste.

The move comes as residents in several town centres continue to complain about growing piles of garbage and illegal dumping sites.

Chairman of the Health and Sanitation Committee of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation, Sydney Rose, welcomed the planned changes, saying the situation has become increasingly difficult.

“The garbage situation is getting out of hand, there need to stronger penalties for littering, so it is good that plans are afoot to help and address this problem,” Rose said.

Rose said there are also plans to tackle some of the parish's mini dumps, including clean-up exercises and the installation of no-dumping signs.

The growing garbage piles have also raised health concerns, with the presence of rodents, dogs and cats, as well as people rummaging through the waste, creating an unsanitary environment.

There are fears that such conditions could contribute to the spread of leptospirosis and other diseases.

Nugent Street resident Michelle McNaught said some of the dumping appears to be the work of people passing through the area.

“This one is terrible, as this is the work of people passing through and dump their garbage and gone,” she said.

There is growing support for tougher enforcement, with calls for stricter monitoring, prosecution and higher fines to discourage illegal dumping and littering.

The proposed legislation is expected to be tabled before the end of the calendar year.

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