Tamworth old saleyards dumping hotspot

“There’s a whole new start in life here,” Mr Baker said, only half joking, as he cast his eyes over the various lounges, washing machines, fridges and kids’ toys.

“If you’re really desperate you could refurnish your house here – you’d want to be pretty desperate though.”

While Tamworth’s old saleyard has been a dumping hotspot ever since it closed five years ago, Mr Baker said it’s the worst he’s ever seen it and the dumping ground’s footprint was rapidly expanding.

In the last six weeks, people have brazenly dumped in front of the old office building and car park, right off Goddards Lane.

“They’re not even making an effort to hide it,” Mr Baker said.

“I’ve seen a bloke up here scavenging. You’re getting close to a rubbish tip when you’re getting scavengers.”

Mr Baker said his farm and other nearby properties were getting covered in rubbish anytime a southerly blew through the dumping ground, which is also becoming a haven for anti-social behaviour.

“There’s a burnt out quadbike there, over there is a burnt out fork lift,” he said.

“You can see where they’ve been doing burnouts. You see cars parked in here at odd times and you wonder, ‘what the hell are they doing?’”

He’s contacted council a number of times about the issue, but to no avail.

“I want to see council do what they’re supposed to do and clean it up,” he said.

The Leader asked Tamworth Regional Council if there were plans to clean up the site.

TRC’s planning and compliance acting director Ross Briggs said it was unfortunate the former saleyard site had become a hotspot for illegal dumping.

“Council staff regularly patrol the area as well as other known illegal dumping sites – we have issued two $2000 fines for illegal dumping there in the past year,” he said.

Mr Briggs said a contractor was in the process of removing some infrastructure from the site and once this was completed, methods for securing the site can be explored.

“In the meantime, we will continue to do regular surveillance, prosecute offenders and remove dumped waste,” he said.

Mr Baker said it’s got to the point “where council might as well put a bloke here and start charging people”.

“At least they’ll be doing something constructive,” he said.