More than 100 tonnes of dumped waste removed from Cessnock reserves
The NSW Government has completed a $120,000 clean-up of Crown bushland reserves near Cessnock to remove more than 100 tonnes of waste left by illegal dumping.
Crown Lands in the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) funded the work which targeted 27 different sites in bushland reserves located off Melbourne Street, Aberdare.
The operation removed waste including 12 dumped cars, 2 tonnes of asbestos, tyres, old air conditioners, mattresses, recyclable materials, and a mix of building waste including glass, tiles, timber, cabling, carpet and plasterboard plus other debris, including used syringes.
A total of 47 tonnes of scrap metal was collected and sent for recycling along with 35 tonnes of concrete waste. Another 9 tonnes of general waste was sent to the Cessnock Waste Management Centre for disposal.
If anyone sees illegal dumping occurring they can report it to the Environment Protection Authority on its website at www.epa.nsw.gov.au or by calling its Environment Line on 131 555 with new maximum penalties applying.
Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:
“Crown reserves are set aside for recreation to support the community, environmental conservation to protect natural habitats, and protect sites of cultural and historical significance.
“Illegally dumped waste is costly to manage and spoils reserves by polluting and reducing amenity. It can also increase bushfire risk by restricting access to fire trails for firefighters when fighting bushfires or conducting hazard reduction operations, and asbestos waste can become friable after fire increasing public safety risks.”
Member for Cessnock Clayton Barr said:
“I thank Crown Lands for its continued work to clean-up illegal dumping on reserve land in the Cessnock area to protect the environment and support community health and well-being.
“Illegal dumping detracts from quality of life and pollutes the environment by contaminating soil,
water, and air and attracting pests. Hazardous materials like asbestos can also potentially impact
human and animal health.”