Unfortunately a disturbing trend involving organised dumping of building waste appears to be on the rise. Unscrupulous operators appear to favour our shire’s northern villages due to our proximity to metropolitan areas.

Staff have responded to several dumpings that contained contaminated building waste, harmful chemicals and asbestos including one incident with about 20,000 tonnes of contaminated waste. If you‘re in the market for land fill, remain vigilant. As the landowner if you accept contaminated fill and the operator cannot be tracked down, you may be responsible for cleaning the site up. Contaminated fill may permanently devalue your property’s value and can even harm your family’s health.

If you suspect someone is illegally using waste as land fill or perhaps you’ve noticed suspicious truck movements, contact the EPA’s Environment Line on 131 555 or council on 4868 0888. Reports can also be made online via ridonline.epa.nsw.gov.au

Last week I had the pleasure, alongside the mayor, to present local swimmer Daniel Rumsey with a gold pass to Moss Vale War Memorial Aquatic Centre to recognise his most recent achievements. Daniel was part of the Australian Swim Team that competed at the Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships in Florence in July. Daniel competed in an astounding 22 events and broke six world records in the process.

Accompanied by his father at the onsite presentation, Daniel proudly showed off his gold medal haul. Daniel possesses an amazing talent but I believe it is his strong work ethic and dedication, humble demeanour and staunch family support that have helped him achieve his great successes. With so many gold medals and world records under his belt, Daniel is without doubt one of our shire’s most talented athletes. The good news is that Daniel shows no signs of slowing down and is already back in training for his next international competition. Well done Daniel! We’re all extremely proud and inspired by your achievements.