Illegal Dumping
Illegal Dumping is a significant environmental, social and economic issue for councils in the Hunter and Central Coast region. With the expansion of the area of NSW required to recover waste levy funds, all HCCREMS member councils are now required to impose a waste levy at all waste management facilities. A number of councils are expecting to see an increase in the amount of material being illegally dumped in the local environment.
The FOCUS on Illegal Dumping project is seeking to:
- Identify potential regional and sub-regional management opportunities to allow councils to better manage both the costs and activities associated with illegal dumping
- Design and trial a number of enforcement campaigns (or Blitz’s) to be implemented throughout the region, to gain further data on illegal dumping ‘hot spots’ and determine effective campaign styles
- Trial different illegal dumping deterrence methods (barriers, cameras, gates, etc) to determine their effectiveness at stopping illegal dumping
The key activities of the project include:
Illegal Dumping Enforcement Campaigns (Blitz’s)
HCCREMS has participated in a number of illegal dumping blitz activities with member councils and other relevant agencies. Involvement in these campaigns has assisted in the development of an operating procedure which can be modified for use in the planning and implementation of future blitz activities. Councils can also access support to collate illegal dumping data, take photographs and coordinate media and community awareness activities.
Illegal Dumping Regional Database
A Regional Illegal Dumping Database (MS Access) is being managed by HCCREMS to collate and analyse data collected by councils, from dumping sites. All incidents are entered into the database, which is linked to GIS and is able to produce maps of the locations in each council area.
Councils can use the intelligence generated from the database to determine appropriate and effective inspection patrol regimes and where access control measures can be installed.
All councils are encouraged to record incidents of illegal dumping on the incident forms developed by the Hunter Regional Illegal Dumping Group and forward these into HCCREMS for entry into the database. At present only incidents identified during blitz operations and the HCCREMS deterrence project, have been recorded in the system.
Illegal Dumping Regional Management Opportunities
Following a request from the General Managers Advisory Committee (GMAC), a review of potential models for the regional or sub-regional management of illegal dumping is being undertaken. The review will investigate how regional approaches have been developed and supported throughout NSW. The investigation will also consider how councils in the Hunter and Central Coast regions are currently managing illegal dumping with the aim to identify if any improvements on current practices or funding opportunities, exist.
Councils will be contacted to provide input into the research, with information needed on number of incidents, cost for council to investigate, clean up and dispose of waste. The review will also be collecting information on any successful investigations or prosecutions councils may have undertaken relating to incidents of illegal dumping.
Illegal Dumping Deterrence Project
Councils are being directly resourced to implement a range of illegal dumping deterrence measures. At the end of 2009, an expression of interest was released to councils to member councils to identify sites for inclusion in a trial project. 6 councils identified a collective 11 sites for inclusion in the trial. All sites are required to be actively monitored, both before and after the installation of the deterrence measures, to determine the installed measures' effectiveness.
Measures trialled include: motion-sensitive cameras, revegetation, fencing, signage and earth mounds. A full report on the effectiveness of the measures will be developed and reported to all councils for consideration of what measures they may consider installing at other sites of excessive illegal dumping.
Illegal Dumping Education and Awareness
An education and awareness campaign for illegal dumping has been developed for use by councils. HCCREMS will work with a number of councils to coordinate the release of the campaign into a sub-region to facilitate greater media involvement and uptake of the materials.
A wider sustainability awareness campaign will be developed, which will include messages around littering and dumping, and compliment this specific campaign.
Councils wanting to participate in these campaign should contact HCCREMS.
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