Illegal dumping case study – Port Stephens Council
Goal
Improve waste compliance efficiency and reduce expenditure by:
- adopting a whole-of-council approach
- shifting waste compliance culture from a field-based, clean-up focus to a focus on administration and enforcement.
Key actions and results
- Conducted a detailed study of the nature and scope of illegal dumping specific to the council area over a 6-month pilot period. With this information, action could be based on fact and not assumptions.
- Adopted new monitoring techniques (camera surveillance) to reduce time spent in the field.
- Created a permanent Waste Compliance & Strategy Coordinator role to focus ongoing efforts.
Top tips
- Issuing clean-up notices and infringement notices created both new income streams and cost cutting benefits for council’s operational arm. Preliminary estimates suggest savings amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
- By adopting a whole-of-council approach, combating illegal dumping was prioritised, driving ingenuity and innovation in program development.
- Cameras should be viewed as expendable. Purchasing cheaper models will ultimately be most cost-effective – one penalty notice can cover the replacement cost of four cameras.