Wollondilly Shire battling dumpers in rural areas
As southwest Sydney’s booming growth continues to roll on full steam ahead, Wollondilly shire has become the dumping ground for excess waste.
Macarthur
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As southwest Sydney’s booming growth continues to roll on full steam ahead, Wollondilly shire has become the dumping ground for excess waste.
The most recent incident saw three loads of beauty products dumped across the Appin and Wilton areas.
While the waste was removed within 24 hours by Wollondilly Council staff, Councillor Michael Banasik said the incident was a part of a much larger problem across the region.
“We’re a mostly rural area right on the edge of Sydney and unfortunately that means we’re an easy place for people from the southwest to dump their rubbish,” Cr Banasik said.
“Almost once a month we’re getting a case of a serious dumping, which can be dangerous because of asbestos.
“Our staff do a good job, usually clearing the rubbish within about 24 hours because if you don’t it just starts adding up.”
Cr Banasik said a solution to the problem was difficult but he believed increasing fines for rubbish dumping would be a deterrent.
“The fines people get for dumping are just not that expensive so it’s not really costing them much even if they get caught,” he said.
“It’s also very difficult to catch them and prove it in court. A few years ago we had a problem in Warragamba and we used CCTV which was quite effective.”
An Environmental Protection Authority spokeswoman encouraged residents to take an active role in reporting dumping. “If the public witness someone dumping take note of details to identify a dumper such as vehicle details and registration.”