By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
NEW owners of the Hampton Park Plaza have slammed the indecent dumping of hard rubbish outside the Salvation Army store, promising prosecution will soon follow offenders who are caught on video.
The Ouson Group took over the shopping precinct late last year and project co-ordinator Edvina Salkanovic told Star News that CCTV footage is currently being investigated.
“I have spoken with the City of Casey and we are both disgraced at what’s happening there, we are working with police and the Salvos to clean up the centre,” Ms Salkanovic said.
“People who dump will be prosecuted,” she said.
Concerned at the amount of hard rubbish including soiled mattresses and couches sprawled outside the Salvos doors, Ms Salkanovic, a Hampton Park resident of 13 years said the problem is ongoing.
“The recent Easter long weekend was the worst I’ve ever seen it,” she said.
Casey councillor Damien Rosario raised the matter at the council meeting on Tuesday 6 April, saying he was “embarrassed for the community.”
“The whole store from end to end is covered in rubbish and this is not stuff you can use – it’s not good goods and it’s costing the Salvos fund-raising money to have it removed,” Cr Rosario said.
Cr Rosario resolved that the Casey Council will work with police and the Ouson Group to help stop the illegal dumping.
Local resident and Hampton Park Community House manager Tania Sacco said people needed to have more pride in their suburb.
“It’s disgusting and it’s definitely like that on a regular basis, but what’s more disappointing is that people rummage through it, taking stuff,” Ms Sacco said.
“The sad thing is it’s the volunteers left to clean it up and they are wasting their time doing that before they can even make sales for much needed funds.”
The Ouson Group has confirmed cameras will be up and running to catch those dumping and rummaging through the rubbish and donations left out of hours.
