Rubbish dumping, theft and attempted break-ins are impacting services at Kyneton charity op shops and support services.
Kyneton Foodbank has experienced an increase in rubbish dumping over the past 12 months, and a recent attempted break-in and damage to its refrigerated food van.
Video surveillance has also captured people rifling through donation bags left and stealing items before they made it onto the op shop floor. Any items remaining are being left exposed to elements and become too damaged for re-sale.
Kyneton Foodbank manager Rhonda Holmes said the incidents were creating extra costs and impacting services. She said damage to the van was extremely disappointing.
“This van wasn’t a luxury—it was something we worked incredibly hard to save for because it meant we could collect fresh, chilled and frozen food to better support local people experiencing financial hardship,” she said.
“Damaging it doesn’t hurt an organisation, it hurts the people who rely on the services it helps us provide for.
“All of this is an added expense and money that we spend on these incidents could be used to purchase more food or support ventures like supplying back-pack beds for the homeless.”
While many people donate good saleable items to the foodbank’s op shop, others are treating their doorsteps as a dumping ground.
Ms Holmes said broken, dirty and non-functional items could not be re-sold and needed to be removed at a cost.
She said removal expenses had doubled in the past 12 months, and were now in the thousands.
Kyneton Foodbank has shared images from its CCTV footage online in an effort to deter future incidents.
The foodbank is not alone in its frustrations, with other local op shops reporting similar incidents.
Kyneton Uniting Church Community Opportunity Shop volunteer shop manager Kathleen Wyatt said security cameras had captured people rummaging through donated goods on a weekly basis at the Ebden Street shop.
She said the act often resulted in stealing, or soiled and damaged goods, after they’re left exposed to the elements, that could not be sold.
“People tear bags open and go through them, grabbing what they want. What is left we usually need to dispose of,” she said.
“We have spoken to police and they now do regular drives past the shop.”
Like Kyneton Foodbank, Ms Wyatt thanked the people in the community who made quality donations.
“The people who donate quality goods are wonderful. We’re very thankful for their support.”
Macedon Ranges Shire Council has previously run campaigns to stop op shop dumping and theft.
Director of assets and operations, Dom Testoni, encouraged residents to donate only clean, safe and saleable goods, and to check with individual op-shops if they were unsure whether an item could be accepted.
He said the council supported community op-shops across the shire by providing disposal vouchers to assist with the cost of managing unsaleable donated items. However, the problem could be avoided.
“We ask the community to respect the efforts of op-shop volunteers by not leaving goods outside stores after hours and by not interfering with items that have been donated,” Mr Testoni said.
“Donations are provided for the benefit of the organisations and the communities they support, and should be treated accordingly.”