The program will implement effective litter prevention across Lake Illawarra by addressing litter through community education and events, enforcement and regulation, monitoring and evaluation, and improving infrastructure around the Lake. 

While Luv the Lake will cover the entire Lake Illawarra Foreshore, 3 hotspot sites have been identified on each side of the lake. Litter prevention activities at each of these locations will target different user groups, undergoing different activities, whilst all sharing the lake.

Shellharbour hotspots:

  • Reddall reserve, near the Fish and Chip kiosk 
  • Picnic Island, immediately west of Windang bridge 
  • Ski Way Park, Oak Flats

 

Wollongong hotspots:

  • Kully Bay and surrounding parkland
  • Kanahooka Beach and surrounding parkland
  • Hooka Park/Fred Finch Park

Luv the Lake will work to address two litter prevention actions in Council's Lake Illawarra Coastal Management Program (CMP), jointly developed and coordinated with Wollongong City Council:  

  • WQ8 - Improve Litter Management  
  • PM3 - Develop and implement a community engagement and participation strategy  

 

Dont be a Tosser

Over 25,000 tonnes of litter is tossed each year in NSW. The EPA's 'Don’t be a Tosser' campaign plays an important role in reducing litter and working to provide a clean and safe environment, now and in the future. 

Council Litter grants assist local governments to deliver litter prevention projects like Luv the Lake that answer their community needs. These projects play an important role in achieving long-term goals for litter reduction in NSW. 

Don't be a Tosser places the responsibility for littering on the individual and encourages us to think about our own actions. Luv the Lake will build on this approach and continue the conversation, encouraging the community to report a tosser, dont be a tosser and to luv the lake.

 

Program Actions

Litter officer 

Establish and fill the part-time position of Litter Officer who will: 

  • Coordinate volunteers and community clean up days around the lake on a regular basis 
  • Conduct litter audits 
  • Utilise a range of 'soft enforcement' tools to educate and engage with the community 
  • Share the impacts and harm of litter on the environment, encourage the use of bins, and educate people on how to "Report a Tosser' through the EPA. 
  • Be able to issue fines should the situation be appropriate to do so 

 

Cleaning 

  • Review and improve existing cleaning schedules 
  • Engage with local community groups already doing active clean ups along the lake  
  • Host large scale clean up days twice a year, in alignment with Clean up Australia Day and World Cleanup Day 

 

Infrastructure 

  • Install cigarette butt bins at each hotspot location 
  • Install more fishing waste bins along the Lake foreshore 
  • Improve bin infrastructure at Picnic Island 
  • Improve signage on all public bins along the Lake foreshore 

 

Education and Awareness 

  • Develop a communication and engagement plan in partnership with Wollongong City Council  
  • Raise community awareness of the impact of littering 
  • Empower the community to report a person who has littered 
  • Install decals along the foreshore walk to raise awareness on fines for littering 

 

Enforcement 

  • Increase visibility and patrols of Council compliance team and the Litter Officer 
  • New compliance staff will undergo training for reporting littering from a vehicle and issuing fines 
  • Additional staff will be employed over summer who will be trained in reporting littering and how to discuss appropriate bin behaviour with the community. 

 

Involvement 

Council will involve and engage with: 

  • Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO) 
  • Shellharbour City Councillors, Mayor and the Lake Illawarra CMP Committee 
  • The community surrounding Lake Illawarra and the wider Shellharbour region 
  • Internal working group with key stakeholders from across Council (Waste, Environment, Compliance etc.) 
Last updated : Mon 1 Aug 2022