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Council adopts litter
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Aussie Pumps fights climate change
Nobody is more conscious of the effects of climate change than the team at Aussie Pumps.
Operating from their big new factory warehouse complex at Norwest, the Engineering Team is always working on developing solutions for drought, bushfires and floods.
Their latest development is big 6” heavy duty trailer mounted trash pumps suitable for local government flood mitigation.
“ A battery of four of these monsters can pump over a million litres of flood water in an hour,” said Aussie Pumps Chief Engineer, John Hales.
The machines in the picture are on their way to Whitton Shire Council in central Queensland.
“ New South Wales Emergency Services should take note of this new development,” said Hales.
The pumps are driven by 80 horsepower Deutz diesel engine and each produce 6,000 litres a minute flow.
John Hales with his Aussie flood solution!
They have a front opening port so“ chokes” can easily be cleared without disconnecting hoses!
“ It’ s a mobile flood mitigation solution produced right here in Castle Hill!” said Hales.
Further information on how Aussie’ s products are helping to combat the effects of climate change are available from aussiepumps. com. au.
Want to be part of the team and make a difference? Call Linda-Sue Karkowski on 8865 3500. prevention plan, secures $ 400,000
Hawkesbury City Council’ s newly adopted Litter Prevention Plan has received a major boost with a $ 400,000 grant from the NSW Environment Protection Authority( EPA). The funding was awarded through the EPA’ s litter prevention programme under the state’ s Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy.
The plan’ s vision is to“ empower Council, community, businesses and visitors to take informed, effective action towards a litter-free future.”
It sets out clear targets, including a 20 % reduction in total litter and cigarette butt litter by 2029, and a decrease in the proportion of community members who litter to below 40 %.
Litter prevention will now be embedded in Council’ s strategic planning and reporting framework, supported by robust monitoring and evaluation measures. The plan identifies six priority litter items – cigarette butts, takeaway food packaging, snack and confectionery wrappers, drink containers, party items( such as balloons and confetti), and small litter fragments. It also highlights five key locations for targeted action: recreational parks, car parks, the Hawkesbury River, retail areas, and roadsides.
Council will increase investment in bins and other waste infrastructure, while encouraging participation from residents, businesses and visitors through initiatives such as the Report a Tosser app. The plan is being delivered in partnership
EPA grant
with the Hawkesbury Nepean River Catchment Authority and the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils( WSROC), helping to amplify anti-litter messaging across the region.
Litter poses a significant financial burden. According to the NSW EPA, litter costs the state approximately $ 162.6 million each year, with local councils bearing around 83 % of that cost. In the Hawkesbury alone, a WSROC audit revealed that of the 536 tonnes of publicspace waste collected in 2021 – 22, only 45.7 %( around 245 tonnes) was placed in bins, while 54.3 %( 291 tonnes) was littered. These findings highlight the importance of the plan’ s targets and the need for collective action.
Mayor Les Sheather described the plan and funding as a game-changer for the local area.
“ We all want clean parks, rivers and neighbourhoods,” Mayor Sheather said.
“ This Litter Prevention Plan, supported by the $ 400,000 EPA grant, means we can install more bins in parks, run education programmes, and engage residents, businesses and visitors in reducing litter.
“ By working together, we can achieve our targets, save ratepayers money on clean-up costs, and protect our natural spaces for future generations.”
Residents can learn more about the Litter Prevention Plan and how to get involved by visiting Council’ s website at hawkesbury. nsw. gov. au.
28 ISSUE 181 // JUNE 2025 theindependentmagazine. com. au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT