Sydney's Northern Beaches Council investigated for illegal dumping

The Northern Beaches Council in Sydney, one of Australia’s wealthiest councils, is under investigation for illegally dumping expired hand sanitiser. The dumping occurred in the suburb of Belrose during the Australia Day weekend last year. A whistleblower reported the council to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). The documents included photos and videos showing boxes of the sanitiser, which contained high-strength ethyl alcohol, known to be hazardous. Some of the sanitiser leaked into stormwater drains before the council could act. CCTV footage revealed a truck involved in the dumping and led to the registered owner of the sanitizer. This person reportedly admitted to the illegal act and agreed to remove the dumped items. Interestingly, some of the hand sanitiser later appeared at council offices, with a note inviting staff to take some. The council's integrity unit initially dismissed the matter, believing it wasn’t serious enough to pursue. However, the situation escalated when it was found that council officers had taken the sanitiser. This prompted ICAC to add the case to their public interest list. Additionally, the council is facing scrutiny from the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) regarding a controversial proposal to increase council rates by 40 percent. Residents have expressed strong disapproval of this increase, with many threatening to stop payments. The council attributes its financial issues to costs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters.