Health woes after illegal dumping

By Tania Martin
A COCKATOO man riddled with back pain has called for answers after he was left to clean up rubbish dumped in front of his house.
Wayne said the contractor that collects his weekly rubbish had left half of it on the street, just after 5pm last Thursday 11 February.
He was told by the contractor, Thiess Services, that it couldn’t make it back out to Cockatoo that day to clean up the mess.
Wayne said he felt compelled to clean it up despite his back problems.
His back has been broken in five places, and is awaiting a second spinal fusion operation.
“We are on a street that adjoins the primary school and the rubbish had to be cleaned up,” he said.
But Wayne said cleaning up the mess had led to him having to increase the amount of morphine needed to cope with his back pain.
“I normally only take 600ml a day but I had to have another 300ml after cleaning up the mess because they didn’t do their job properly,” he said.
“I have now been put in a position where I might not be able to walk for the next week.”
Wayne believes the contractor should have come out straight away to clean up the mess, especially as he told them about his disabilities.
Cardinia Shire spokesman Paul Dunlop said the council was investigating the matter with Theiss Services. Thiess declined to comment.