Members of the Cooks River Alliance met with Minister Penny Sharpe on the river bank, to discuss funding from the NSW EPA for litter prevention and illegal dumping in the catchment.

The NSW government is tackling illegal dumping and litter head on by rolling out more than $4 million to help councils, businesses, community groups and public land managers protect our local environments.

Inner West Council is one of nine successful councils that has been awarded $400,000, taking a total of more than $1 million invested in litter prevention in and around the Cooks River since 2021.

The funding has helped Cooks River Alliance and Council to drive down litter in what was one of the most polluted waterways in Sydney. This work, together with state-wide litter prevention initiatives, has seen litter reduced in the river system by up to 60% since 2018-19.

Minister Sharpe said, “Our reforms respond to community concerns and calls from local councils for stronger action and powers on illegal dumping. 

“By 2030, we want to reduce litter by 60%. These new projects will help to propel us forward by changing behaviours and delivering critical infrastructure to encourage better waste disposal.”

What We’re Doing

In the 2021 Cooks River Community Values survey, you told us your vision for the River is for it to become “a loved and healthy river valley enriching the heart of Sydney,” with the River becoming free of litter and debris listed among the top three priorities.

The Alliance is taking a collaborative, coordinated approach to litter prevention at the catchment scale to significantly reduce litter before it reaches the river. The Alliance is fascilitating this work with the assistance of funding through a Waste and Sustainable Materials grant from the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). We will work in three main strategic directions.

Litter Prevention Grants

Applications are now open for the next intake of litter prevention and illegal dumping grants. More information about the successful applicants and further funding opportunities is available here.