Shellharbour City has reported a significant drop in illegal dumping incidents, falling from 214 incidents to 88 incidents over 12 months.
Data collected between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2020 shows a decrease of 59.8% in the number of incidents compared to the previous reporting period.
The latest figures show 23 tonnes of waste was dumped illegally in the most recent reporting period, a large drop from 1129 tonnes the previous year.
Shellharbour Mayor Marianne Saliba said she was delighted with the latest statistics.
“The reduction in illegal dumping is due to several Council initiatives targeting illegal waste and littering within the community,” Cr Saliba said.
“Council’s compliance and regulation team conducted a range of activities at known hotspots including increased patrols, after-hours surveillance, installation of signage, positioning of boulders and other engineering measures to discourage people from disposing of waste unlawfully.
Council staff sought external funding through the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and obtained several grants specific to targeted illegal waste programs.
One such project included the installation of a mobile illegal dumping surveillance system at The Shallows Bass Point, an area that was attracting illegal dumping.
Shellharbour City Council is a member Council to the Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation’s (ISJO) Regional Illegal Dumping (RID) program.
The program was established to coordinate and target illegal dumping of waste across the Illawarra and South Coast.
It aims to reduce incidents of illegal dumping in known locations through surveillance, evidence gathering, engineering and an increase in both enforcement and community education.
The RID program operates across Eurobodalla, Kiama, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Wollongong Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Bega Valley local government areas. The EPA, with funding from waste levy, supports the program.
Shellharbour Mayor Marianne Saliba said Council would continue to work closely with the EPA and the ISJO RID program to disrupt and deter illegal dumping within the LGA.
The data collected by the EPA during the reporting period 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020 shows the following incidents of illegal waste:
* Total waste dumped across the region includes two major dumping incidents totalling 17,5449 tonnes.
** Region average is calculated without the two major incidents to provide a more accurate figure.
Shellharbour City Council’s .
