Dumped items across the local government area included car bodies, white goods, roofing material, mattresses and general waste.

Eight asbestos dumping sites were uncovered.

The clean up of the illegal dump sites is continuing.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council secured a $147,000 EPA Clean-up and Prevention Grant to target illegal dumping in partnership with Forestry Corporation of NSW and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

The funding underpins a range of activities including identification, clean up, prevention measures, surveillance and education. 

The illegal dumping problem ranges from urban reserves to kerbsides, national parks and state forests.

The program’s main aims are to reduce illegal dumping incidents, increase follow-up and potentially prosecutions, and collaborate and coordinate data collection.

Council’s waste projects officer Nicky Julian said a lot of the illegally dumped items could have been dropped off at waste transfer stations for free.

She urged people to familiarise themselves with the council’s waste-related services.

“One of the problems is people don’t know what is available and what can be dropped off for free at transfer stations,” Ms Julian said.

Almost 50 loads of general waste from 90-odd sites were removed from forestry land during the program.

Some 64 abandoned car sites were found in state forests from Rossglen in the south to Cooperabung Range in the north.

Forestry Corporation of NSW protection forester Mick Wilson said illegal dumping in the bush was a major and increasing problem given our consumerist society, increasing population and user pays system.

He said the Forestry Corporation of NSW, National Parks and Wildlife Service and the council shared the illegal dumping problem.

Mr Wilson said they pooled their skills and resources under the program.

He said they were very grateful to the council for putting together the grant application and managing the project, and the EPA for the funding.

A spokesperson said the NPWS contribution to the project was reporting and mapping locations and types of materials being dumped in areas it managed. 

This guides the clean-up response, access management such as fences, gates or signs, and the addition of remote surveillance cameras to hot spot locations.

The program partners follow up with appropriate regulatory actions where needed.

The NPWS spokesman reminded people not to take the lazy option.

“Dispose of waste responsibly, reduce, re-use, recycle,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the penalties far outweighed the cost of disposing of your waste responsibly.

“Illegal dumping also costs money and time to clean up other people’s mess. Money and energy that can be far better used on fire mitigation, weed and pest animal control, threatened species conservation, and management or provision of recreational facilities in parks,” the spokesperson said.

The project will continue until about April 2018.​