A report to Bathurst Regional Council’s meeting last week detailed the results of council’s project, made possible with a grant of $19,890 from the NSW EPA Waste Less, Recycle More initiative. 

Council supported the grant with $17,387 of cash and in-kind contributions. 

The money was used to review over 800 illegal dumping reports from 2010 to 2018 and upload over 600 reports to the EPA’s RID database. 

It also helped to analyse the data to identify key regional dumping hotspots, develop and implement a public education program, develop an illegal dumping strategy and install a raft of deterrents, including signs and surveillance cameras. 

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In his report, director of Environmental Planning and Building Services, Neil Southorn, said that two new offenders had been issued penalty notices after they were identified. 

Four hotspots had no dumping incidents recorded, while other inappropriate access activity, such as trespassing, off-roading and burnouts, had “greatly reduced”. 

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Mr Southorn praised the work of the various council departments that contributed to the project.

“The Environment section would like to highlight its sincere appreciation to these sections and staff in ensuring the project completion was a success,” he said.

In an address to councillors, deputy mayor Bobby Bourke said that the report showed council was taking illegal dumping seriously, but residents had to continue reporting incidents. 

“I just encourage the community to have a look at this and what we are doing here, because if we dob these people in there will be less rubbish hanging around,” he said.

“It has been noted on many occasions within our boundaries of illegal dumping and I’m glad that we’ve got surveillance out there.

“We don’t tell the community where they are, but [people] are being caught.”