The EPA’s Illegal Dumping Prevention Program goal is for natural environments and streetscapes in NSW to be free of dumped waste. The grants under this program aim to reduce illegal dumping through implementing prevention measures.

The overall objectives of the Illegal Dumping Prevention Strategy 2022-2027 are to minimise:

• kerbside illegal dumping activities
• public land and bushland illegal dumping activities
• illegal landfilling / organised crime activities

The 4 streams under the grants program target the first 2 of these objectives. The objectives of these grants are to support local and state government public land managers to:

• gather baseline and ongoing data on the size of their illegal dumping problem
• develop a business case for investment in illegal dumping prevention
• proactively target localised illegal dumping issues
• collaboratively address illegal dumping across land tenures
• encourage entities to undertake illegal dumping prevention projects if they have not done so before.

This stream provides funding for establishing baseline data either for dumping on publicly owned land or for developing an illegal dumping business case for the following entities:

• Individual local councils
• Groups of councils (Stream 1b only)
• State government public land managers

Funding of up to $20,000 is available per entity and must be completed within 12 months.

The EPA strongly encourages applicants to attend the Illegal Dumping Prevention Program Round 3 grants webinar (see EPA website for the date or to watch the recording).

Before applying for any of the streams under the Illegal Dumping Prevention Program Round 3, please ensure you meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Applicants must be located in NSW and be one of the following:
  • a local council
  • a grouping of councils such as a Joint Organisation or Regional Organisation of Councils, Regional Waste Group or
  • a state government public land manager.
• Projects must be on publicly owned land, managed by a local council or a state government public land manager. Projects can collaborate with private land managers and implement prevention measures on private land to target an illegal dumping issue occurring on public land.
• Prevention measures can be implemented on neighbouring private land where these interventions are required to effectively target an illegal dumping issue occurring on public land.
• Entities such as councils and council groups can be the lead applicant in only one application per stream. If multiple applications are submitted by an entity, only the first application submitted will be assessed.
• For state government public land managers with regional offices, one application per regional office will be accepted. 

To be eligible, applicants must:

• be able to provide illegal dumping baseline data for the past 12 months or longer, and
• have not received more than one grant over the last 3 rounds (Round 7 of Waste Less Recycle More, and Round 1 or 2 of Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy). See below for a list of entities who are ineligible for this stream.

• Email: illegaldumping.strategy@epa.nsw.gov.au