DUMP THE DUMPING: LET'S KEEP SHELLHARBOUR BEAUTIFUL

Shellharbour City Council is asking the community to help stop illegal dumping, after large amounts of waste were recently found in local parks and waterways.

Caption: Council workers cleaning up polystyrene beads at a creek in Flinders. Image courtesy of Shellharbour City Council.

Mayor Chris Homer said dumping waste in public areas harms the environment and causes problems for the whole community.

“Whether it’s tyres in a creek or mattresses left on a footpath, it’s frustrating for everyone. It damages our natural spaces and costs time and money to clean up,” Mayor Homer said.

“We know most people do the right thing, and we’re simply asking everyone to keep looking out for our environment. If you see rubbish dumped, report it. And don’t forget, there are free and low-cost services available to help you get rid of waste properly.”

Council staff recently responded to a report of polystyrene beads in the creek near the bridge at Village Green, Flinders. Teams from several departments quickly stepped in to stop the beads from spreading further through our local waterways. Over seven bags of polystyrene were collected in a single day, and the clean-up continued over several days ahead of heavy rainfall.

Council teams regularly deal with a range of dumped items. On average, they collect around 8 to 10 mattresses every week. Recently, they also removed 50 car tyres from a single creek.

In the 2024-2025 financial year, Council took 64 tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish to landfill, not including what could be recycled. Common dumping hotspots include public reserves, footpaths and bushland.

How you can help

It’s easy to report illegal dumping and help stop it:

• Call Council’s Customer Service Team on 4221 6111
• Report online at Council’s Waste and Illegal Dumping webpage

Don’t dump it, drop it off instead

Many common household items can be dropped off for free at Council’s Dunmore Recycling and Waste Disposal Depot. This includes things like dryers, washing machines, televisions, scrap metal, batteries, paints, oils, and more.

For a full list of accepted items, visit Shellharbour Waste.