More than 100 tonnes of illegally dumped waste has been cleared from bushland in Cessnock.
$120,000 had to be spent on the clean-up by the NSW Government with work spanning 27 locations in Crown bushland reserves located off Melbourne Street at Aberdare.
Crown Lands crews had to remove 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.
Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said it was a shame to see such beautiful natural landscapes spoiled for everyone by a small minority of the community.
“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 said.
“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 said he was pleased to see the area cleaned up.
“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.”
Anyone who sees illegal dumping occurring are being urged to report it to the Environment Protection Authority, with new maximum penalties applying.