COCKBURN city council has ordered the Good Samaritans to remove a charity bin in Spearwood because the organisation was not clearing illegally dumped goods quickly enough.

The order reduces the number of charity bins on council land in Cockburn to one — and that’s at the Henderson tip.

The council ordered the Beale Park bin’s removal after it was broken into and clothing and bedding was strewn across the car park, prompting a complaint from a ratepayer.

Community safety manager Rob Avard says the council’s tried for years to get the Samaritans to take the issue more seriously. “Given the recent problems, the city has now required that the bin be removed from Beale Park,” he says.

• Sammy’s charity bin in Beale Park. Photo supplied

“Charities can approach private land owners to locate their charity bins.”

In 2011 Sammy’s then-CEO John Knowles said every month the charity cleaned up around 200,000kg of rubbish left outside its clothing bins, and carted it to tips across WA, costing it more than $300,000 a year.

The Salvation Army estimated in 2009 that cleaning illegal dumping at its clothing bins was costing it $6 million a year across Australia.

The Chook asked mayor Logan Howlett whether the council planned to target dumpers and scavengers, rather than focus on penalising charities. In short, the answer is no but “CCTV cameras are being rolled out across the city”.

Illegal dumpers can be fined up to $500 per offence.

Good Samaritans didn’t return our call.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK