Illegal dumping costs money, time and the environment

Illegal dumpers in our city cost ratepayers more than $270,000 each year through their dumping activity.

In the last financial year Council recorded more than 1,430 incidents of illegal dumping. Each incident is investigated and, if the illegal dumper is not identified, Council then cleans up the material and delivers it to the waste resource and recycling centre at Whytes Gully.

Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said illegal dumpers are a blight on our city. “Many people dump their household goods or building materials and they are simply wrecking their neighbourhood and the environment.

They could place this material out for a household clean up or take it to Council’s Community Recycling Centre at Whytes Gully for recycling. Both these services are free. Many people can also take their chemicals and other materials to a Chemical Clean Out held twice a year. And this is free, too,” Cr Bradbery said. “People who dump their household rubbish or building materials are trashing our city. Our city is not a dump, it’s our home so don’t dump on it.

“In fact the NSW government is encouraging people to ‘Dob in a Dumper’. I think it’s about time we asked all residents to report incidents. They can refer these to the EPA hotline or Council’s Customer Service Team.”

The enforcement action may also require the dumper to clean up their rubbish. If this does not occur, then the person responsible will be hit with further fines. At present fines for illegal dumping can reach up to $8,000 for each incident.

Each household in the city is entitled to two on-call household clean ups each year. This enables each household to place four cubic metres of household waste out for collection. This service is free.

Council’s Community Recycling Centre at Whytes Gully offers a free solution for residents to dispose of household waste items for recycling. You can drop off paints, gas bottles and fire extinguishers, fluoro globes and tubes, household and car batteries, motor and other oils, smoke detectors, mobile phones, cardboard and paper, mixed recyclables, scrap metal, fridges and freezers, as well as computers and televisions. Scrap metal includes many whitegoods that are made mostly of metal, such as microwaves, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers.

Council also offers two Chemical Cleanouts per year in conjunction with the EPA. This enables each household to get rid of chemicals, paints and other materials at a designated place for free.

For more information and to report illegally dumped rubbish visit Council’s website, call the EPA hotline on 131 555, or Council’s Customer Service team on (02) 4227 7111.

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