Rubbish dumped at Mt Kembla. Photo: Michele Tydd.
A fresh round of funding is on offer for Illawarra councils and land managers to crack down on illegal dumping, with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) offering more than $1.2 million for NSW projects aimed at protecting the region’s environment and public spaces.
Round three of the Illegal Dumping Prevention Program supports councils, public land managers and regional waste groups to address the problem at its source through targeted, on-the-ground projects.
It comes a month after Shellharbour City Council put out a call to “dump the dumping” after large numbers of car tyres and bags of polystyrene were pulled from creeks and parks, and two months after rubbish was dumped at the Mt Kembla Mine Memorial Pathway, a location looked after by a band of retirees.
Funding in the latest round is available for a range of initiatives, including deterrents such as fencing and barriers, site clean-ups, education and behaviour change campaigns, surveillance and enforcement tools.
EPA programs and innovation executive director Alexandra Geddes said $2.83 million awarded to 36 successful recipients across the first two rounds had achieved a meaningful impact.
“These grants help organisations take action, making a real difference by preventing illegal dumping before it occurs,” Ms Geddes said.
“We’ve seen great results in places like Bathurst and the Shoalhaven, where previous funding improved monitoring and helped deter repeat offenders through innovative design and technology.
“In this round, we’re looking to back more projects that reduce the volume of waste being dumped illegally, because it is more than just an eyesore – it’s a threat to our environment, wildlife and public safety.”
Council workers clean up polystyrene beads at a creek in Flinders. Photo: Shellharbour City Council.
Shoalhaven City Council was awarded more than $76,000 in funding under round two of the program.
About 450 tonnes of illegally dumped waste was recovered from public land in the local government area during the past two years.
Funds will enable the council to collaborate with NSW Government agencies, such as National Parks and Wildlife Service and Crown Lands, to run a community awareness campaign, and install gates, bollards, signage and CCTV cameras in high-risk dumping zones.
In Shellharbour, Mayor Chris Homer previously said dumping waste in public areas not only harmed the environment by damaging parks and waterways, but came at a cost to council and ratepayers.
“Whether it’s tyres in a creek or mattresses left on a footpath, it’s frustrating for everyone,” Cr Homer said.
“It damages our natural spaces and costs time and money to clean up.”
Cr Homer said council teams regularly dealt with a range of dumped items, on average collecting about eight to 10 mattresses each week.
He said in the 2024-2025 financial year, council took 64 tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish to landfill – and that wasn’t including recyclables.
To apply for EPA grants, which range from $20,000 to $200,000, visit the EPA website.
