An Illawarra farmer says litter blowing off Wongawilli construction sites is a "disaster", presenting threats to wildlife, the environment and his stock.
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With recent high winds, Chris Barham has again seen rubbish from a neighbouring housing estate swept onto his property, his neighbour's property, and into Forest Creek.
"The next big rains we have, it's going to end up in Lake Illawarra," he said.
The polystyrene waffle pods, he said, posed a particular problem: not only did they present an environmental issue, they were dangerous to his animals if they ate pieces.
"I run beef cattle here and when those waffle pods roll through the paddock, they break up," Mr Barham said.
![Chris Barham with a waffle pod that has blown into Forest Creek from a nearby building site at Wongawilli. Picture by Adam McLean. Chris Barham with a waffle pod that has blown into Forest Creek from a nearby building site at Wongawilli. Picture by Adam McLean.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/gzajA9j5yvatvSgWamdNVy/5e404860-8604-4888-8b68-f20ecb6c2fe0.jpg/r0_160_4800_2869_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He said he had contacted the Environment Protection Authority, which referred him to the council, but the council told him that being on private land there was nothing they could do.
"There seems to be a lack of care," Mr Barham said.
A council spokesperson said it was investigating the matter and a staff member had visited the site.
"With strong winds forecast, council will follow up with additional inspections of neighbouring construction sites to ensure loose building materials are tied down," they said.
"At this point in time, it's too early to provide any further comments as it is an open investigation."
The Mercury has contacted the EPA for comment.
While last week's windy weather has again brought the issue to the fore, it is not something new for Mr Barham, who says it happens every time construction gets underway on a new house.
![Construction rubbish along a fence at Wongawilli. Picture by Adam McLean. Construction rubbish along a fence at Wongawilli. Picture by Adam McLean.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/gzajA9j5yvatvSgWamdNVy/bac48928-a478-40b3-a733-45799cfb24e9.jpg/r0_255_5463_3339_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Waffle pods especially have long been a concern: the Mercury reported on the problem of waffle pods blowing off construction sites in the Wongawilli and West Dapto area four years ago and again in 2021.
In 2019, Wollongong City Council said the state government needed to mandate a code for the management of waffle pods and that same year industry body Expanded Polystyrene Australia introduced a code of practice.
Ledum Yorgure, senior development manager responsible for the neighbouring Vista Park estate, said developer Sheargold took the responsibility of managing waste very seriously.
However, Mr Yorgure said homes at Vista Park were generally constructed by builders engaged by those who purchased the plots, not Sheargold.
While the developer itself had no homes under construction, he estimated there were 40 to 50 others underway at Vista Park.
![Litter from Wongawilli building sites on Chris Barham's property. Picture by Adam McLean. Litter from Wongawilli building sites on Chris Barham's property. Picture by Adam McLean.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/gzajA9j5yvatvSgWamdNVy/75a68469-85e9-403f-8f3f-615cab5c6fe7.jpg/r0_282_5520_3398_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"When we are directly responsible for building construction, securing and disposing of waste is of the highest priority to us," Mr Yorgure said, adding steps included regular site meetings and ensuring builders used covered skip bins and sediment fences.
But he said it was difficult to address waste when Sheargold was not a party to the contract.
But Mr Yorgure said Sheargold had a program by which people who constructed homes in accordance with guidelines - including the proper disposal of construction waste - could apply for $5000 payments.
"When we are on site we undertake inspections and we also encourage residents to let us know when they see something that does not meet the guidelines - for instance waste being dumped, damage to kerbs et cetera - and where we can determine who is responsible we require them to rectify those issues or risk not being eligible for the streetscape incentive payments," he said.
The council spokesperson said the council was targeting building site compliance across the city.
"Council's Building Sites Compliance Program launched in November 2022 and focuses on a number of common issues such as sediment and erosion control, dust management, waste management, noise and hours of operation issues," the spokesperson said.
"To date, this has resulted in 411 site inspections, 33 penalty notices, 13 written warnings and 79 verbal warnings."
The council has legal powers to enforce conditions of a development consent, including those around waste management, and to ensure a building site does not cause water pollution.
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