The City of Canada Bay Council population forecast for 2022 is 97,022 and is forecast to grow to 132,249 by 2041 (profile.id.com.au/canada-bay).

The population density in 2016 was 4,852 persons/km². In 2016, 40.5% of people in City of Canada Bay were born overseas.

The communities’ priorities outlined in Your Future 2030 includes litter under the theme of a Sustainable City.

“Our community feels that the City of Canada Bay is a leader in sustainability. Our community wants the focus to continue through… reducing waste by reusing and recycling; minimising noise, air, water and litter pollution.”
(2018 Canada Bay Council).

There are several volunteer community groups that conduct litter clean ups or litter prevention activities. These are usually around waterways or parks next to waterways.

Council’s 2017 Litter Strategy and implementation plan provided a five-year direction for preventative litter action across the City. It aligned with the Southern Sydney Regional Organisations of Councils (SSROC) Regional Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy and Regional Litter Strategy. It aligned with the NSW Premier’s 2015 Litter Priority and the NSW Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy 2014-2021.

The Strategy set a target to reduce litter by 50% in hotspot areas by 2021 and the Implementation Plan had 89 actions.

The success of the strategy was measured against the six key focus areas:

• infrastructure and cleansing
• education and communication
• enforcement
• evaluation and observation
• partnerships and pride
• strategy and management.

The strategy results are reported in Council’s State of the Environment reports. Staff estimate 80% of the litter strategy is completed as at 2021.

The implementation of this comprehensive Litter Prevention Plan was funded by Council and five NSW EPA Litter Grants.

In 2018 Council developed the Love Your Place program that supports local community members to partner with Council at public parks. It integrates litter clean-up and prevention activities. This program increases community pride in local places and connects communities to waterways. In 2021 there were 11 active groups mainly doing foreshore clean-ups and some residential street clean-ups.

Projects

Council has completed multiple projects.

The availability of EPA Litter Grants has been a driver for litter prevention actions.

These include NSW EPA Litter Grant funded projects:

• Back of Business – Putting litter in its place (working with local businesses)
• Litter in the Bay at Cabarita Park
• Hey Tosser – Bin your Butts
• Two Hot Coal projects at Cabarita Park.

Council also delivered

• BagLess in the Bay – a plastic bag reduction program
• litter promotion on Council trucks
• Clean up Australia Day activities
• Business Use of Public Footpath Policy to reduce blowaway litter
• a public place bin audit of 125 bins from a range of public places including parks, streets and bus stops
• local litter checks at 26 locations
• installed solar bins and removed open topped bins
• implemented a Sustainable Events Policy
• school education about litter on school grounds.

Council partners with Transport for NSW on projects as well as the Parramatta River Catchment Group.

Hotspots

• town centres and retail commercial areas especially for butts
• parks and public places as identified in the 2015 litter hotspot audit
• Local Litter Checks are completed as part of Love Your Places