Thousands of illegal dumpers in the Illawarra have been put on notice by the NSW Environment Minister, who yesterday unveiled a new crack squad to catch out litterbugs across the region.
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Robyn Parker visited Bulli Tops to announce the establishment of a new Regional Illegal Dumping (RID) squad for the Illawarra and Southern NSW region, which extends to Wingecarribee and down the coast to Bega.
She said the new squad, to be based in Kiama, would work with the Environment Protection Authority and local councils to identify illegal dumping incidents through a variety of means, including helicopter patrols of rural areas.
The government will invest $900,000 in the RID program over the next three years.
Kiama MP Gareth Ward said dumping was an environmental crime with the potential to harm people's health and the environment.
"It also imposes unnecessary costs on landowners and councils, with clean-up costs estimated at more than $10 million a year," he said.
At Wollongong City Council, costs for removing illegally dumped material totalled more than $1 million in the past three financial years.
This included $86,751 for the clean-up of asbestos and $947,938 for the removal of street and gutter dumping.
Figures also showed the number of dumping incidents had increased in the past year, with 915 recorded in 2011-2012 and 1095 in the 11 months so far this year.
The most popular Wollongong dumping sites including the top of Mount Keira Road, Wyllie Road in Kembla Grange and the top of Cordeaux Road.
Heathcote MP Lee Evans welcomed the announcement, saying that in many places in the wider Illawarra region - where the urban fringe backs onto bush - illegal dumping posed a challenge for local councils.
Report illegal dumping by calling the EPA on 131 555.
Pictured: Lesley Scarlett, executive officer from Southern Councils Group with Member for Heathcote Lee Evans and Environment Minister Robyn Parker at the launch of the new Regional Illegal Dumping squad at Sublime Point, Bulli Tops yesterday. Photo: KIRK GILMOUR
