Report illegal dumping

Phone: 13 70 30

Dirt pile

What is illegal dumping?

Illegal dumping is placing waste anywhere that isn’t authorised to receive it. It can range from small items like cardboard or rubbish bags to large items such as furniture or building waste, which may contain hazardous materials.

Putting waste on your nature strip outside your scheduled bulky waste collection, or adding items to someone else’s pile, is also illegal dumping. Please check your bulky waste collection date before placing items at the kerb even if others on your street put theirs out early.

Find your next scheduled bulky waste collection

Illegal dumping harms the environment and costs the community. It causes land contamination, fire risks, pest infestations, and higher clean up expenses. We are committed to reducing illegal dumping in our community.

Illegal dumping is a crime

We have specialist officers who investigate incidents and can prosecute offenders. Under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, it is an offence to transport or dispose of waste anywhere other than a lawful facility, and both the transporter and the waste owner may be held responsible.

Penalties include on the spot fines, court issued penalties, and even imprisonment. Fines range from $2000 to $8000, and we have the power to issue these fines and to prosecute offenders at court. We also have the power to issue statutory notices ordering clean-up and prevention activities to persons and organisations identified as being involved in illegal dumping.

How to report illegal dumping

You can report illegal dumping by contacting our Waste Hotline on 13 70 30 or visit RID Online.

We rely on the community to help identify dumped waste. If you witness dumping, please note key details to include in your report:

  • Date and time, you witnessed the item being dumped
  • Location of the dumped waste items
  • Type of waste items
  • Details about any motor vehicle being used including the registration number, make, model and colour
  • Description of the offender

Your information will remain confidential and won’t be shared without your permission.

If it is safe to do so, we encourage you to take photographs or a short video clip of the dumping occurring and of the waste which was deposited.

We encourage you to not approach illegal dumpers and to only obtain the above information if it is safe to do so.

Abandoned motor vehicles and trailers should be reported to Council’s Customer Service Team on 02 9847 6666.

What to expect when reporting illegal dumping to Council

We respond to illegal dumping reports within 10 working days and will contact you if more information is needed.

If the offender can’t be identified, we will remove the waste within 10 working days, except on private property or land we don’t manage, where removal is the landowner’s responsibility.

If an offender is identified, they will be directed to remove the dumped waste within an appropriate timeframe.

Because investigations can be complex, they may take longer than 10 working days. If there isn’t enough evidence to require a clean‑up, Council will remove the waste after 10 working days or sooner if the material is hazardous or poses a safety risk.

Legal disposal of waste

There’s no excuse for illegal dumping. Affordable, legal disposal options are available for unwanted items:

  • Bulky waste collections. To see if you are eligible for this service, which items are accepted and to look up your next collection date, visit the bulky waste collection webpage
  • Non-commercial quantities of recyclable waste including cardboard, paint, plastics, clothing and other items can be disposed of free of charge at our Community Recycling Centre in Thornleigh
  • Donate suitable items for reuse. For more information about how to recycle your unwanted items for reuse, visit the Waste Reduction webpage
  • Smaller and non-hazardous items can be disposed of in your household bins if they fit. This is particularly handy for green waste which can be cut up over time and placed in your green-lid bin
  • At a licensed waste facility, such as a landfill or waste transfer station

Asbestos waste

Asbestos must be handled and disposed of safely and legally, as asbestos poses serious health and environmental risks and carries higher penalties than other waste types.

Asbestos waste cannot go in household bins or be placed out for bulky waste collection and must be taken to a licensed facility.

If you see illegally dumped material that may contain asbestos, do not touch it. Please call the Waste Hotline on 13 70 30 for a prompt response.

For guidance on identifying and safely managing asbestos, residents can visit the Asbestos in NSW website.

Using contractors or third parties to remove your waste

Online waste‑removal services have led to an increase in illegal dumping by operators who dispose of waste unlawfully.

In NSW, both the person who dumps the waste and the person who owned it beforehand can be prosecuted. Anyone using contractors must ensure their waste is disposed of legally to avoid penalties.

If you are the owner of waste taken away by a contractor or third party, we suggest that you protect yourself from prosecution by keeping records including:

  • The name, address and contact telephone number of the person who transported your waste
  • Details about their motor vehicle including the registration number
  • The date and time your waste was taken away
  • A description of your waste, including a photograph
  • Details of where your waste was taken to
  • Copies of dockets and tipping receipts relating to the disposal of your waste
  • A Tax Invoice from the contractor or third party which details the services rendered to you for the disposal of your waste. Where possible, pay the contractor electronically and not by cash to allow for the creation of a record of payment
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