FRUSTRATION is piling in Gidgegannup as residents claim illegal dumping along Toodyay Road has reached a break point, with rubbish left on the roadside for months, in what residents describe as a lack of action from the City of Swan.

Toodyay Road, often described as the gateway to the Avon Valley, has been plagued by repeated incidents of dumped waste, including refrigerators, couches, tyres, and general household rubbish.

Gidgegannup resident Sue Adams said reports to the city have been largely ignored, claiming the problem has been effectively handballed to neighbours to clean up themselves.

“It’s gotten so bad my kids play spotto with the rubbish on the way home from school,” she said.

“They shout out when they see the couch, the refrigerator, or the pile of tyres as we drive past.

“An elderly gentleman I know waited eight months for the city to clean up the pile of garbage, only to get sick of waiting and ended up cleaning it up himself.”

Residents believe the surge in illegal dumping is linked to the costs to dump at the nearby Red Hill Waste Management Facility, which can cost upwards of $50 just to dispose of rubbish.

“A lot of people are saying it’s because of the high fees at Red Hill,” Ms Adams said.

“They try and do the right thing and dump it legally, but when they find out the cost, they choose to avoid paying the bill and just dump it along the road on the way home instead.”

Another resident Sally Cookman says the  community has become frustrated at the lack of action from the City of Swan.

“We report it to council and all they can seem to give us are excuses as to why they can’t clean it up,” she  said.

“At one point, I reported rubbish that was dumped in front of my house and the city essentially told me I should just clean it up myself.”

Ms Cookman believes a strong deterrent is the only way to stop people from dumping their waste wherever is convenient.

“I’ve seen the portable CCTV camera’s down at Stratton Park shops used to try and stop antisocial behaviour and crime,” she said.

“That would be the best solution – put up a few cameras in dumping hotspots and hold people accountable.

“If they clean it up quickly and punish those responsible it won’t keep happening.”

City of Swan chief executive officer Stephen Cain said the city is aware of the community’s frustration.

“The city is aware of delays in our bulk collection service due to unforeseen mechanical issues with some of our equipment,” he said.

“City staff are actively working to resolve these issues, in the interim we have engaged with an external contractor to assist with collections.

“Residents are encouraged to continue reporting these incidents to the city, either by contacting us directly or via Snap Send Solve.”