The Hawkesbury City Council has introduced a new Litter Prevention Plan, supported by a $400,000 grant from the NSW Environment Protection Authority.
The plan aims to empower the community, businesses, and visitors to collaborate for a litter-free future, with targets to reduce overall litter and cigarette butt litter by 20% by 2029 and to lower the community littering rate to below 40%.
This initiative integrates litter prevention into the Council’s strategic planning, focusing on six priority litter items—cigarette butts, takeaway packaging, snack wrappers, drink containers, party items, and small fragments—along with five key locations: parks, car parks, the Hawkesbury River, retail areas, and roads.
The Council plans to enhance infrastructure, such as bins, and engage the community through programs like the Report a Tosser app. Partnering with the Hawkesbury Nepean River Catchment Authority and WSROC, the plan aims to amplify the anti-litter message.
With litter costing NSW approximately $162.6 million annually—a burden predominantly borne by local councils—it’s crucial to address this issue. A WSROC audit found that in 2021-22, just 45.7% of the 536 tonnes of public-space waste in Hawkesbury was disposed of properly, emphasizing the need for effective action to keep the region’s parks and streets clean.
Mayor Les Sheather said the plan and funding would be a game-changer for the community.
“We all want clean parks, rivers and neighbourhoods,” Mayor Sheather said.
“This Litter Prevention Plan, backed by the $400,000 EPA grant, means we can put more bins in parks, run education programs, and get everyone – residents, businesses and visitors – involved in reducing litter.
“By working together we can meet our targets, save ratepayers money on clean-up costs, and protect our natural areas for future generations.”
This project is an initiative of the NSW Environment Protection Authority under the NSW Government’s Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy and is funded from the waste levy.
