Illegal dumping surges by 80 per cent in Hills area during coronavirus
Illegal dumping has increased dramatically during the pandemic as more people remain at home and complete DIY projects - and some surprise regions are among the biggest offenders.
Hills Shire
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Illegal dumping has surged across NSW during the pandemic and in the leafy Hills district there has been a whopping 81 per cent increase during COVID-19.
In The Hills area alone there have been 151 reported cases of illegal dumping that have been referred to the Western Sydney Regional Illegal Dumping Squad between January and May 18 this year, up 81 per cent from the same time last year.
The main items being dumped are household furniture followed by construction and demolition materials.
Newly developed areas around Box Hill and North Kellyville (particularly Sandibanks Ave) are considered illegal dumping “hotspots” in The Hills.
Hills Shire mayor Michelle Byrne described it as a “persistent problem” but attributed the surge to the fact “there were more people remaining at home and completing DIY projects”.
Cr Byrne wants a review of the regulatory framework for managing waste and preventing illegal dumping, including funding for CCTV surveillance cameras and making available further enforcement activities.
Cr Brooke Collins said he was particularly concerned about the Kellyville area.
“We are living closer than ever to rural land which makes it harder to detect,” he said.
But the surge in illegal dumping is not restricted to the Hills area.
The NSW Environmental Protection Authority recorded a 34 per cent increase across the state in illegal dumping.
Reports of dumped household waste rose to 42 per cent and green waste and mulch by 30 per cent across NSW.
Areas with the highest figures were in outer Sydney, Apart from The Hills they include Penrith and Cumberland.
Not all areas increased. The Canterbury-Bankstown area saw a decrease of 27 per cent.
However, the Sydney RID Squad which it is part of and includes six other councils — Bayside/Georges River/Randwick/Strathfield/Sutherland/Waverley - saw an increase of 16 per cent.
NSW Minister for the Environment Matt Kean said illegal dumping costs millions of dollar in taxpayer money and is bad for the environment and our health.
“Most people do the right thing and book in a waste pick up service with their council or sell items in good condition through online forums but some don’t,” he said.
Residents are urged to book a kerbside clean-up or use an authorised waste collector to dispose of any household waste.