FAQs

The Lithgow Solid Waste Facility is the primary waste facility for all residents and will continue to be open 7 days a week from 8.00am, with the last entry at 4.45pm.

 The Lithgow Solid Waste Facility is open on selected public holidays. Please see ‘Waste Facilities’ on Council’s website for more information.

• Council’s waste facilities only accept waste that was generated in the Lithgow Local Government Area and that complies with the sign at the entrance to the facility. 
•  Waste from outside the Lithgow Local Government Area is prohibited at all Council’s waste facilities.

  Please show proof of residence, such as a driver’s license or rates notice when entering the Lithgow Solid Waste Facility.

Illegal dumping outside of waste facilities is one factor that is considered when determining the opening hours at waste facilities.

Illegal dumping is a criminal offence. The NSW Government enforces illegal dumping laws with extensive resources to catch offenders and heavy penalties including fines and jail time.

The risk of unauthorised waste disposal in waste facilities is another important factor that is considered when determining the opening hours of waste facilities. 

Unauthorised waste disposal in waste facilities is a significant environmental, financial and health risk for our communities. Council is responsible for preventing the disposal of unauthorised waste in waste facilities.

While the problem of illegal dumping is more widely recognised by the community, unauthorised waste in Council’s waste facilities is a more frequent problem.  Unauthorised waste in facilities also has the potential to pose greater risks to the community due to the regular access by members of the public.

The change to the opening hours at Portland Garbage Depot will help to address these issues with supervision during all opening hours to commence following the change in opening hours.

Supervision is necessary to prevent unauthorised waste disposal in waste facilities and can also help identify and address illegal dumping activities.

If you see illegal dumping report it online at RIDonline   

The opening hours are changing to:

• Allow for supervision to meet EPA regulatory requirements.
•  Balance the availability of services with the cost of providing these services.
•  Manage the increasing costs of providing facilities and services in accordance with best practice waste management in our rural communities.

It is significantly more expensive to open a waste facility on Sunday than on other days.

Closing the Portland Garbage Depot on Sunday makes it possible to open the facility on more days during the week providing flexibility for our wide range of rural residents.

The Lithgow Solid Waste Facility is open on Sunday from 8am with the last entry at 4.45pm.

In addition to increasing operating costs, such as fuel, waste management costs are increasing due to the following four key challenges:

1. Increasing State Government regulations that require facilities to meet higher standards, 
2. Increasing community expectations of recycling opportunities at facilities, 
3. Increasing waste types and problem wastes that need appropriate management due to the heightened risks to the facility, community and environment, including fire risks and chemical contaminants like PFAS, and
4. Increasing impacts from State-wide changing waste disposal costs and regulations, including pressure on rural facilities from illegal dumping and out of area waste.

Supervision of the Portland Garbage Depot is a requirement of the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) as it is a necessary step to effectively address the key challenges.

The Portland Garbage Depot will be supervised during all opening hours and waste will be sorted into bins, instead of on the ground in the landfill area.

Unsupervised waste facilities are vulnerable to misuse. Misuse can result in facilities closing due to issues including:

•  A landfill reaching capacity due to use by the wrong people or the wrong waste, 
•  Risks to human health, the environment and the facility due to unlawful waste disposal.

  Unlawful waste disposal is serious problem that poses risks to:

• the health of people who use and work at the site,
• the health of the environment, including local waterways and wildlife.
• the facility due to risks such as fires and clean-up requirements
• Council and the community for costs arising to manage unlawfully disposed of waste and any related damage.

Portland Garbage Depot is being upgraded to provide a better experience for residents and better waste outcomes. 

In the coming months, a new sorting system, called the L-Bin system, will be introduced. 

• Residents will no longer approach the landfill area but sort waste into the supervised bins.  
•  The L-Bins are at ground level so it will be easy to unload and sort waste into the bins.
•  Once the new system is operational, the Portland Garbage Depot will offer recycling of:

  Scrap metal

  Green waste

  Co-mingled recycling (yellow lid bins)

  Cardboard/paper

  E-waste

Further recycling opportunities are expected to be available in future.