A dozen cars, two tonnes of asbestos, tyres, air-conditioners, mattresses, building waste including glass, tiles, timber, cabling, carpet and plasterboard, and a handful of used syringes are just some of the dumped rubbish removed from bushland reserves near Cessnock this week, after a $120,000 cleanup of Crown Land.
Overall, crews dealt with over 100 tonnes of waste left by illegal dumping, or 100,000 kilograms.
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.
Additionally, nine tonnes of general waste was sent to the Cessnock Waste Management Centre for disposal.
Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said the dumped rubbish was not only harmful to the natural environment but posed dangerous risks to humans too.
“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,” he explained.
“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.”
Cessnock MP Clayton Barr agreed.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
The pair encourage anyone that sees illegal dumping to 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.
New maximum penalties apply, with authorities hoping to deter offenders and protect local flora and fauna.
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