Since February, more than half a million dog-waste bags have been taken from dispensers across Noosa.
The compostable dog-waste bags, which are supplied across the region by Council, have become a hot commodity for wrong-doers who swipe them for other purposes.
As a result, dispensers will stay empty across the shire for the month of September.
Local Laws Manager Phil Amson said the number of bags distributed over the last seven months has been in excess of 610,000; a number that is rapidly growing.
“Currently all dog-waste bags across the region are depleted and we cannot get more supplies until late September,” he said.
“Unfortunately, these compostable bags have become a lucrative item to some who obviously want them for their own commercial or residential purposes.
“We noticed a very severe spike in the demand for our bags since the single-use bag ban was implemented across major retailers.
“In some cases people are emptying our dispensers within 24 hours of us filling them up. It’s completely out of control and once again, a minority are ruining it for our local dog owners who now can’t have access to this service.”
The compostable bags are made from 100 per cent corn-starch components, which means they cannot be stockpiled by Council or the manufacturer for weeks on end.
“As you can imagine, these bags break down very quickly so we cannot get them from the manufacturer overnight nor can we store them without them decomposing.
“We keep increasing the orders each time we place them, but now our locals will be without them for over a month because some people keep doing the wrong thing,” he said.
There are more than 80 dog waste bag distribution points across the shire, with Gympie Terrace noted as one of the hotspots for complaints.
Mr Amson said on several occasions over 2500 bags were taken from Gympie Terrace in less than 12 hours.
Council expects the next supply of compostable dog-waste bags to be distributed by the end of September, which also coincides with local dog registration renewals.
