Program targets illegal dumping across Cairns

Since 2021, Cairns Regional Council participation in the Queensland Government’s Local Government Illegal Dumping Partnerships Program has delivered significant results across the Cairns region, with 1,498 illegal dumping reports investigated and almost 1.4 million litres of waste removed from the environment.

The program has highlighted the scale of the issue and the need for continued action, helping to identify illegal dumping hotspots, respond to community reports and reduce environmental and amenity impacts across the local government area.

Illegal dumping also has broader environmental impacts, including pollution of waterways, harm to wildlife, contamination of sensitive habitats and increased waste entering the Great Barrier Reef catchment.

The Queensland Government recently announced the Fighting Illegal Dumping Partnership Program, which will continue to build on this important work.

Open to all Queensland local governments, applications for the program closed on 25 February 2026 and are currently under assessment by the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

Cairns Regional Council has sought a further 3 years of funding to support a full-time Illegal Dumping Compliance Officer, along with targeted investment in enhanced after-hours monitoring capabilities.

Continued funding would strengthen Council’s ability to investigate incidents, identify offenders and protect Cairns’ public spaces and natural environment.