Tuesday 18 July 2017

Cessnock residents asked to clean up their act

BY JARROD MELMETH

A notorious illegal dumping ground on McLeod Road in Loxford has been cleaned up and Cessnock City Council is hoping it stays that way.

Cleaning up the 22.4 hectare site was no easy task and Council worked closely with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), Crown Lands and local company Goninan & Sons to get the job done.

The project involved removing 78.6 tonnes of waste, installing fencing around the site and putting in three gates for access to services.

The waste removed from the site included 7.92 tonnes of asbestos, 28 tyres, 12 needles, whitegoods and general household rubbish.

Cessnock City Mayor, Councillor Bob Pynsent said he was disgusted the site got to this point and is calling on the community to clean up their act.

“One of the concerning things in this clean-up was the amount of children’s toys and items such as prams and car seats, indicating families are some of the key offenders.

“If kids are in tow when parents are dumping rubbish in bushland, it sends a message that this is OK, which is highly concerning,”Cr Pynsent said.

In an effort to educate the community and prevent further illegal dumping, Council also distributed a brochure to all residents in Loxford, Kurri Kurri, Clifleigh, Standford Methyr and Weston.
This project was funded by the NSW EPA through the Waste Less Recycle More initiative, funded by the waste levy. 



The dumping site at Loxford.