IT is timely to remember that last year Lake Macquarie, Wyong, Cessnock, Upper Hunter, Maitland, Dungog, Newcastle, Muswellbrook and Singleton councils joined forces with the Environment Protection Authority to create the Hunter-Central Coast Regional Illegal Dumping Squad.
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The squad, thanks to $1.6 million funding from the Environment Protection Authority and over $400,000 from participating councils, has been enhancing compliance, education and enforcement around illegal dumping.
Working across local government boundaries, the squads also specialise in dealing with landfilling, asbestos and other contaminated waste issues.
They use a strategic, co-ordinated approach to prevent illegal dumping and focus on the particular issues within their region.
In Lake Macquarie the squad has helped the council identify a number of illegal dumping hot spots across the region and as a result, the council has issued 89 clean-up and infringement notices, and had 252 cubic metres of waste removed by polluters since July 1, 2014.
The pooling of resources and local expertise is a great example of how we can work together to stamp out an illegal activity that creates negative impacts for the environment and human health, and is also costly for councils.
If you witness illegal dumping activity, take note of the vehicle registration number and phone the council on 4921 0333 or the Environment Protection Authority's Environment Line on 131 555.
