Wheelie? The rubbish in your bin may not belong to you

A stranger is well within their rights to rummage through your rubbish across fifteen regional councils in Victoria, NSW, Tasmania as well as in the ACT.

But do it in Ballarat or Wodonga in regional Victoria and you'll be hit with hefty fines and an unpleasant pong.

In the border town of Albury-Wodonga, the rules differ, depending on which state you live in.

Albury City Council in NSW said there were no laws against going through bins on council property provided the 'rummager' did not leave waste outside of the bin or enter onto private property.

"Residents are advised that when the bin leaves their property and is placed on the kerbside, it no longer is the resident's bin.

"Once the bin is emptied into the truck the material becomes the bin collectors to manage, council hold the responsibility when it is at the kerbside," a council spokesperson said.

Whereas in Wodonga in Victoria council by-laws state it is illegal to scavenge in residents' bins and it incurs a $100 penalty if a notice to comply is ignored.

"It is an offence to interfere with refuse, recyclable goods or green waste when it is left out on a road or other municipal place for collection by the council," the council by-laws state.

Ballarat council in Victoria said it was against its community local laws to interfere with waste, recyclables, green waste or hard waste.

"A person must not remove or interfere with any waste, recyclables, green waste or hard waste or mobile bin left out by any other person on a road or on council land for collection by the council, unless employed, authorised or contracted by the council for the purpose," the council laws state.

Rummaging through Ballarat bins could have you fined $1,000.

Warrnambool city council laws also state a person must not remove waste from a "mobile garbage bin", potentially incurring a fine up to $500.

There were no laws about the removal of rubbish on nature strips in northern Victoria's Moira Shire council.

"When we have had issues with people taking things out of other bins, or also using other bins for their excess waste without permission, we have done letter drops to residents about 'asking your neighbour' before doing so," a council spokesperson said.

Moira council pointed out that rubbish scavenging became illegal in Victoria when bins were on private property or resulted in littering offences.

City of Greater Bendigo said their local laws did not cover taking rubbish from kerbside bins but entering private property was a police matter.

On the NSW-Vic border, Campaspe Shire's local law state that interfering or removing rubbish out of council, residential or commercial bins is not allowed.

"Once an item is placed in a bin, it should stay there due to unforeseen health and safety risks, including cuts from glass, needles and/or metal," a council spokesperson said.

"There's also significant environmental risks with bin bags being slashed open for cans and bottles, incurring resourcing costs and litter in open spaces (which is an offence under the EPA)."

Removing waste from residential or commercial bins could incur a $2000 penalty or $500 fine if it related to council bins.

Murray River Council in NSW was not aware of any local by-laws or legislation that covered waste interference. Wagga City Council and Dubbo Regional Council they did not have any specific by-laws and were bound by state waste regulations.

Meanwhile, Orange City Council encouraged residents to not sift through their neighbour's rubbish.

"It could become a civil matter if the resident felt that someone scavenging through their bin was stealing private information," a council spokesperson said.

Lake Macquarie City Council and Dubbo Regional Council did not have any specific regulations about collecting rubbish from household bins.

The ACT government said once bins were on public land they were property of the government.

"Rummaging through household bins may also lead to unwanted mess on ACT Government land if items are dislodged from bins and left on the ground. This would be considered littering which is an offence under the Litter Act 2004," a government spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, a City of Launceston spokesperson in Tasmania said they had never come across restrictions on taking waste from bins out on the footpath. Devonport City Council did not have established by-laws addressing scavenging through household bins not on private property.

Local government areas where no rules apply to rummaging through residential bins on the kerb

Victoria

New South Wales

Tasmania

Government of the Australian Capital Territory

Local government areas where rules apply to rummaging through residential bins on the kerb

Victoria