Council boosts litter prevention with NSW EPA grant

Bega Valley Shire Council is ramping up its fight against litter with funding support from the NSW EPA for a new Strategic Litter Project.

The $80,000 EPA grant will help Council ramp up its fight against litter.

13 May 2025

Bega Valley Shire Council is ramping up its fight against litter with funding support from the NSW EPA for a new Strategic Litter Project.

The $80,000 grant from the EPA’s Litter Prevention Program will help Council identify what’s working well and where improvements are needed in its approach to reducing litter.

Council’s Waste Strategy Coordinator, Tim Cook said the project comes at a time when local data highlights the level of work needed to tackle litter in the shire.

“During this year’s Clean Up Australia Day events in Merimbula alone, 10 full bags of rubbish were collected from just two sites,” Mr Cook said.

“From just half those bags, we counted 113 cigarette butts, 187 soft plastic items and more than 30 wipes and pieces of fast-food packaging.

“While our shire is rightly known for its natural beauty, litter remains a visible issue that impacts local environments, including our highly-valued waterways and coastline.”

Nationally, over 12 million pieces of litter were reported in Clean Up Australia’s 2024 Rubbish Report, with soft plastics, cigarette butts and takeaway packaging among the top offenders.

“This project will help the Bega Valley do something about that, by building a framework that makes litter prevention a core part of everyday Council operations,” Mr Cook said.

“A new Litter Policy Officer will lead the project, supported by a community-based steering group. Expressions of Interest to join will open soon.

“This isn’t just about picking up rubbish, it’s about making sure we prevent litter before it becomes a problem and creating systems that make a clean environment the norm, not the exception.”

The project will also bring in consultants to support plan development and ensure delivery by the end of 2025.

The outcomes of this project will support EPA statewide efforts to reduce plastic litter by 30% by the end of 2025 and all litter by 60% by 2030.

“This is about thinking smarter, working together and giving our staff and community the tools they need to make lasting change,” Mr Cook said.

This project is an initiative of the NSW Environment Protection Authority under the NSW Government’s Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy and is funded from the waste levy.

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