Don't risk penalties for trash

Published on 01 April 2020

Residents are being urged to wait until COVID-19 (Coronavirus) restrictions are lifted before using the city's waste facility.

On March 31 the Government announced that all residents must stay home unless they are attending work or education, shopping for food and essentials, exercising, or attending to medical needs.

These measures are enforceable by law, and anyone failing to comply faces a maximum penalty of six months' imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $11,000 plus a further $5,500 fine each day the offence continues. 

Council's Waste and Sustainability Manager, Kathy Graham, said it wasn't worth risking heavy penalties to dump household waste.

"I know a lot of people are having cleanouts while they're isolated, but it's important to remember that 'trips to the tip' aren't included in the Government's list of acceptable reasons for leaving the house," said Ms Graham.

"By all means organise your household and get your clutter ready for disposal, but please wait until restrictions are lifted before taking a trip to the waste facility.

"This will also give other facilities like the Lifeline Shop and the bottle depot opportunities to reopen and accept recyclable materials.

"The NSW Government have made it very clear they'll be strong on enforcing these restrictions, so we'd encourage everyone to comply."

The latest updates on COVID-19 and associated restrictions can be found at https://preview.nsw.gov.au/covid-19