“It makes me angry when I see someone leaving their mess behind,” he said.
“I went to a park with my family recently and someone did exactly that, scattering their takeaway remains in a beautiful spot.
“They had no consideration for others, as there was a bin only metres away.”
However he added that the council could not tackle the issue alone, and that businesses and the community also had a role to play but they needed greater support and direction.
“The bottom line is you could have many more bins but regardless there are still some in the community that just don’t care and leave their waste for others to clean up,” he said.
In the lead up to Sunday’s Clean Up Australia Day, Cr El-Hayek last week called on the council to develop “targeted educational messages and resources” aimed at encouraging residents to take pride in their city and to correctly dispose of rubbish and litter.
While suggesting targeted messages be developed for spots such as parks and bus stops, he said it was about more than signage or fines.
“It’s about instilling pride in our City and getting people to think twice before they leave their mess behind,” he said.
“If you don’t dump in your own backyard, then why should you dump in our parks, on our streets or at our bus stops.
“It’s not about fining people, it’s a mindset and we need to change this mindset. We need to educate individuals into taking pride in their City.”
