People caught using the Troy Reserve as a personal tip could now face a lot more than just a guilty conscience.

After being a notorious illegal dumping ground for some residents and businesses over the past few decades, Dubbo City Council and the Rural Lands Protection Board (RLPB) have decided to take extreme action to eliminate the practice.

Ranger Joe Hambrook said council will now prosecute in court anyone who is caught dumping in the reserve and request the maximum fine of $250,000 for individuals and $1 million for businesses.

"This is a beautiful part of Dubbo and I'm just fed up with these grubs who come out here and think they can dump whatever they want," he said.

"From now on we'll be doing whatever we can to get them into court and give them the biggest fine possible."

The prevalence of people accessing the site to dispose of rubbish was demonstrated yesterday when Dubbo 4-Wheel-Drive Club members reported scaring off one individual who had entered the park with the intention to dump just minutes before the Daily Liberal and Ranger Hambrook arrived.

The move to eradicate dumping follows a mass clean-up of the reserve by the Dubbo 4-Wheel Drive Club, which pulled more than 30 tonnes of assorted rubbish from the grounds.

"In the past we would come along and clean a place up and within 12 months it would resemble a tip again. We've got limited open spaces in Dubbo and we want to be able to keep them clean," he said.

To hammer home the point, council and the RLPB have erected a number of signs throughout the reserve warning potential dumpers of the serious repercussions should they be caught.

RLPB manager Narelle Rodway said the severe fines are designed to keep the park open for public use.

"We don't want to lock this area up but if people keep doing the wrong thing then we wouldn't have a choice. Hopefully this should now act as a huge deterrent," she said.

jeremy.scott@ruralpress.com