Rubbish behaviour: Despicable dumping habits in Moreton Bay revealed
Published 06 February 2026
- Illegal dumping is at concerning levels in City of Moreton Bay, with Council investigating and prosecuting individuals in relation to 2,056 significant illegal dumping sites since 2023
- People have illegally dumped everything from garden waste and household rubbish to hazardous items such as asbestos and livestock carcasses
- City of Moreton Bay is urging residents to correctly dispose of waste, including using their annual entitlement to dump three tonnes of waste or make 26 trips at Council waste facilities for free
What do dead cattle, old boats, tyres, green waste and asbestos have in common?
They are among a long list of items that have been illegally dumped in City of Moreton Bay over the past three years.
Council has investigated and prosecuted individuals in relation to at least 2,056 significant illegal dumping sites since 2023 – an average of 13 a week. The volume of items illegally dumped at these sites added up to 3,405,227 litres of waste, enough to fill more than 14,000 wheelie bins.
City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery said the staggering statistics show people need to be more responsible when it comes to waste disposal.
“Illegal dumping is just not on – it impacts the enjoyment of public spaces and poses a danger to people, wildlife and our environment,” he said.
“Illegally dumped items such as asbestos, chemical drums and cattle carcasses create serious health hazards, while green waste can introduce invasive pests and increase the risk of wildfires.
“It’s a costly problem for ratepayers too, with Council spending millions of dollars each year cleaning up illegal dump sites – money that could be better spent on community amenities and services.”
In Queensland, illegal dumping is the unlawful disposal of any type of waste material that is 200 litres, about the volume of a wheelie bin, or more.
Hotspots for illegal dumping in City of Moreton Bay include high density areas such as unit complexes, new development areas, parks and reserves, and on state land such as national parks, forest plantations and habitat reserves.
Items commonly dumped include household rubbish, furniture, appliances, mattresses, tyres, green waste, building waste, chemical drums, paint tins and even asbestos. Some of the more unusual items illegally dumped include livestock carcasses in state forests and old boats in car parks.
Many people don’t realise that illegal dumping includes the dumping of green waste, such as grass clippings and tree branches, dumping of household waste in public bins, and kerbside dumping.
Council has the jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute illegal dumping offences within City of Moreton Bay and has issued 282 infringements over the past three years.
For individuals, fines in excess of $2,670 can be issued and, if prosecuted in court, a magistrate can issue fines up to $66,760. For corporations, these amounts are $8,345 and $333,800 respectively.
“Council takes illegal dumping seriously and we encourage anyone with information, imagery or CCTV footage of illegal dumping occurring to report the matter to us,” Mayor Flannery said.
“We have a state-funded dedicated illegal dumping officer, who is backed up by additional investigators and our rangers, to help stamp out this issue.
“Council is doing its bit to combat illegal dumping, but we need residents and commercial operators to do the right thing and dispose of their waste correctly. This means correctly disposing of waste in Council bins and using their annual entitlement to dump three tonnes of waste or make 26 trips at Council waste facilities for free.”
Members of the public can report illegal dumping by downloading the Snap Send Solve app or report online.
For more information about waste disposal, visit Waste, recycling and organics - City of Moreton Bay