Council continues to fight illegal dumping

Council continues to fight illegal dumping

Council has endorsed its continued membership of the Western Sydney Regional Illegal Dumping (WSRID) Squad for a further 12 months    Blue Mountains City Council became a member of WSRID, in a trial capacity, on 1 January 2019 and Council endorsed at the Council meeting on 26 November 2019 the renewal of this membership to combat the issue of illegal dumping.

Blue Mountains Mayor, Cr Mark Greenhill said: “Our participation in the RID Squad Management Committee ensures that Council gets a voice in relation to activities occurring within our area.

“In the first six months of operations, WSRID investigated 244 matters equating to approximately 344 tonnes of illegally dumped waste.  Of the matters investigated, 93 were referred to Council for clean-up, with 58 having been cleaned up by the offender/resident.    “It is clear that WSRID is achieving results and helping to keep illegal waste out of our World Heritage Area.”

The WSRID Squad specialises in dealing with illegal dumping and landfilling, with the aim of deterring these waste offence by investigating and prosecuting them through a range of enforcement strategies. 

Staffed by experienced investigators, they work across local government boundaries, using a coordinated approach to preventing illegal dumping

Member Councils of WSRID are Blue Mountains, Blacktown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Penrith and The Hills Shire Council.    Membership of the WSRID Squad has significantly improved Council’s capacity to deal with illegal dumping. Continuing with WSRID membership for a further 12 months will enable an assessment of the costs and benefits of membership beyond 2020.