Northern Beaches Council teams have conducted their highest ever number of surprise visits to building sites, in the latest crackdown on pollution caused by construction activities.
The ‘Get the Site Right’ campaign is a joint initiative involving councils across the state, NSW government agencies including the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and coastal environment groups.
In March, council compliance officers conducted 97 surprise visits to building sites, an increase of 36% from the previous Get the Site Right blitz.
Mayor Sue Heins said the crackdown is part of the council’s ongoing commitment to protect the environment.
“It was disappointing that 51 of the nearly 100 building sites inspected were found to have pollution breaches. These blitzes are done on a regular basis and I hope our campaign ensures more construction sites do the right thing to protect our environment,” she said.
The inspections identified issues including uncovered waste materials and a lack of controls to prevent sediment run-off.
The council issued 40 written warnings for building sites where multiple issues were identified and took stronger action against repeat offenders.
To report pollution incidents, community members can contact the council on 1300 434 434 or call the EPA’s Environment Line on 131 555.