Illegal rubbish dumped at North Avoca revealed by drone
A CENTRAL Coast drone operator has expressed his shock and disgust after discovering household rubbish illegally dumped from a local clifftop.
Central Coast
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A CENTRAL Coast drone operator has expressed his shock and disgust after discovering illegal rubbish dumped from the clifftop at North Avoca.
Photographer Matt Bendt said he had been waiting to photograph a sunrise on Saturday May 26 when he made the discovery.
“After sunrise when it got a little lighter I launched the drone to shoot the waves and coastline rocks - for an exhibition I was about to put together,” Mr Bendt said.
“I turned the drone camera towards the cliff and saw an unusual white shape and at first I thought it was a dumped car body.
“But when I got a bit closer I noticed it was a banana lounge and what looked like household garbage tossed over the cliff from the top of North Avoca headland.
“I was shocked and disgusted. I have never seen this before whilst photographing around the cliffs.”
Illegal dumping IS mostly dealt with by the a special squad under the Environmental Protection Agency called RID.
Hunter RID said it was “actively pursuing” illegal dumping in the region but did not supply any details of prosecutions in the area.
A spokeswoman for RID said household waste accounted for almost half the waste dumped illegally in NSW.
Fines of up to $250,000 apply for individuals and up to a million dollars for businesses.
A Central Coast Council spokesperson said council rangers enforced littering laws which state that it is an offence to dispose of litter in a place other than an approved location.
The spokesman said council had issued 42 infringements for littering offences over the past two years including general litter, lit cigarettes and littering from a motor vehicle.
“The effective issuing of infringement notices relies heavily on catching people in the act or conducting detailed investigations into claims of littering we receive from members of the public,” the spokesman said.
Offences can incur significant penalties and on the spot penalty notices.
“Council proactively campaigns across the coast to educate the community about the effects of littering on the community and natural environment,” the spokesperson said.
“Recent initiatives include the Hey Tosser campaign designed to raise awareness about the impacts of littering on the local environment, and changing the behaviour of litterers, the introduction of Council issued reusable cups to cafes across the Central Coast to reduce the number of disposable cups turning into litter and ongoing waste education.”