Western Sydney Regional Litter Prevention Plan is awarded $450,000 in grant funding by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) through the Litter Prevention Grants Program. The funded initiative supports the coordination of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) new ambitious waste reduction effort.
WSROC and seven participating Western Sydney councils will team up to action the Western Sydney Regional Litter Prevention Plan 2023-2027 for maximum coordinated effect.
The seven participating councils are Blacktown City, Cumberland City, Fairfield City, Hawkesbury City, The Hills Shire, Liverpool City, and City of Parramatta Councils.
Litter costs Western Sydney residents more than $31 million dollars each year, with councils cleaning up and disposing of truckloads of littered items across the region.
“The most littered locations are roadsides, car-parks, recreational parks, shopping strips, and train stations. However, our creeks, rivers and other waterways are also seriously impacted by littering,” said WSROC President, Councillor Barry Calvert.
“Along with cigarette butts, food packaging, and takeaway containers, including coffee cups, are the most littered items in Western Sydney.
“Only 55 percent of waste disposed in public places was correctly disposed, leaving councils to clean up the whopping 45 per cent of rubbish littered in our region.”
Western Sydney Regional Litter Prevention Plan
Under the new Western Sydney Regional Litter Prevention Plan, WSROC will work in partnership with the NSW Environment Protection Authority and the seven councils to:
- develop coordinated litter prevention messaging;
- identify standardised litter management approaches;
- increase the community’s personal responsibility to prevent litter;
- work with other landowners and retailers to implement measure to prevent littering; and
- support councils with resources, knowledge, monitoring and evaluation, among other tasks.
“This new Western Sydney Regional Litter Prevention Plan responds to the needs of our seven participating councils, who serve Australia’s most culturally diverse and fastest growing region with a population of over 2.6 million people and more than 191,000 businesses spread across approximately 9,000 square kilometres,” said Councillor Calvert.
“Much more than just an eyesore, litter degrades the environment, endangers wildlife, contaminates soil and water with chemicals, and the financial costs are borne by our communities.
“There are three major catchments in Greater Western Sydney — the Parramatta, Georges and Hawkesbury Rivers — fed by a large number of drains and tributaries that carry litter into these river systems and the public recreation areas along them.
“This can affect the community’s use of an amenity and can diminish their sense of pride of place,” said Councillor Calvert.
“Western Sydney residents are proud of our environment, and we want to keep our region clean.”
This project is a NSW Environment Protection Authority Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy initiative, funded from the Waste Levy.
For more information, and to find out how Wanless is committed to the Western Sydney region through its Kemps Creek site, contact us today.
Also published on Medium.