Speaking at a community meeting in his constituency last week, Penn said persons who have adopted the unsightly practice have become empowered in doing so.

“We have to find better ways of holding those persons who continue to deface the community accountable for the way they manage our waste but we also have to hold the government accountable for our waste management strategy,” the Eighth District Representative said.

Issue has grown worse with time

The Opposition Leader said when he served briefly as Health Minister in the previous National Democratic Party (NDP) administration, derelict vehicles were one of the first things he addressed. But, he lamented the fact that the issue has since grown worse with time.

“It has become extremely worse where persons are feeling empowered to just park their old vehicles any old way around the community. We can’t allow that to continue,” Penn stated.

He said a more aggressive approach coupled with stiffer fines was needed to properly address the situation.

He added the vexing issue of persons dumping bulk waste along the roadways and at other undesignated sites to the list of challenges facing the territory.

Persons are currently required to take their bulk waste to the Pockwood Pond landfill site for safe disposal.

“We have to call people out. We can’t sit down and see someone with a truck just dump waste right by our roadside and just pass and say nothing. We have to call people out on this type of behaviour,” Penn told constituents.

Install CCTV cameras at garbage bins

Meanwhile, one resident urged that the government adopt the extraordinary strategy of installing CCTV cameras at garbage bins to catch persons in the act who are guilty of disposing their bulk waste incorrectly.

He said while persons might see the measure as too expensive, no one was currently enforcing the law as it relates to the illegal dumping of bulk waste.