Ever been out of Sydney and on return seen the difference in air quality? When I cross Fairfield Council borders, I see the difference in ‘clean and green’ quality. Fairfield Council is blind to rubbish. So what do you expect? It has no programme for rubbish detection. So what do you expect? Its law enforcement is in tatters. So what do you expect? Its waste education programme is poorly pitched and misdirected. So what do you expect? Its processes are wasting money. So what do you expect? It has a tired old administration. So what do you expect? It spends our money on glossy magazines and publications selectively advertising politicians. So what do you expect? It spends large amounts on a media unit. So what do you expect? It spends money on feel good stuff instead of services. So what do you expect? It spends excessive time on non-priority matters. So what do you expect? I have previous reported serious rubbish at the bottom of Broomfield Street. It is now covered with weeds but still there – a hazard to people and Cabramatta Creek. Rubbish in the Fairfield area is a scourge that is helped along by council practices. Congratulations to those who have brought this story to us.

Dear fellow resident, It is always going to be so easy to blame Council for this ongoing issue. It's time those of you clearly obsessed with this issue need to become proactive instead of standing on the sidelines sniggering. If you don't offer solutions, "what do you expect"? All communities have this issue. What are they doing about it? Create a locally run website where you can blog dumping areas. Let council know the web address then they can clean it up. Organise your street to adopt a road, clean up australia, tidy town, neighbourhood swap day, street garage sale etc. So many opportunties to fix the problem yet you do nothing but stand on the sidelines and complain. Give the champion something else to write about, this is getting old!

It seems to me that a core business of any local council is "rubbish". It used to be part of a saying about the 3Rs, which summed up the primary responsibilities of councils. Whilst this one has been off delving into various matters that have little or anything to do with local government, they continue to neglect the core responsibility of rubbish, amongst other things. The ongoing anecdotes illustrating this failure seem endless. When cleanliness and public health are at stake, there is no scope for this ongoing failure to be allowed to go on and on. Whilst some of these people seem to fancy working in some capacity in The Hague, they have to come to grips with the fact that they are here to perform certain specific duties and have cognisense of their duty of care to the residents, businesses and visitors to the area. Perhaps we could see a serious plan drafted and presented for scrutiny that actually aims to deal with this issue. So far we have waffle, spin excuses, denial or quick fix knee-jerk clean-ups of specific places whenever they hit the headlines for long enough. If those responsible don't wish to deal with this, then they should stand aside for others willing to act.

I think we can acknowledge that it's not simple for Council to keep on top of a terrible problem, and one that's caused in the main by ignorant people who have no respect for our area (no dumping - no problem). We do, however, have to take the elected officials to task when they make promises to fix the problem, and not deliver any effective measures - there are fundamental things residents should be able to expect, and sanitation is one of these. It's also not fair to suggest that the contributors here "offer no solutions" - Charles Gream for one has actually put forward a lot of ideas over a period of time, and not solely focused on cleaning up after-the-event. Council could do a lot worse than welcome these ideas and others, and work through a range of options. The scale of the issue in our area is nothing to be proud of, and it's something that all groups need to work together to solve.

Let it be on the record that I am not sniggering and the suggestion that I am is a falsehood. There is no place for falsehoods here or anywhere. Let it be on the record that my street looks after itself and is litter picked regularly – by me. Let it be on the record that I do take in part in Clean Up Australia. Last year I worked in Cabramatta and its CBD toilets were shut that day causing discomfort and inconvenience to people including the pregnant because unbelievably the council’s management had no idea staff had not turned up for work. Let it be on the record that I attend council meetings regularly to observe and to ask questions. Let it be on the record that I regularly advise councillors and staff of rubbish and locations. Let be on the record that I do offer solutions to the council. Let it be on the record that people cause rubbish and the council’s practices are contributing to its extent. Finally, councillors at election time promised ‘clean and green’ and the promises have not arrived. ‘Beans’ arguments are dishonest. If any reader emails me at charlesgream@gmail.com I will gladly supply you with the latest correspondence with the council. You will find it interesting.