local - 2026-05-19

Council Targets Building Site Pollution in Record Inspection Blitz Across Northern Beaches

97 sites inspected in single month under 'Get the Site Right' campaign, with 51 found to have pollution control issues

Northern Beaches Council has carried out its most extensive building site inspection campaign to date, visiting 97 construction sites across the region in a single month as part of a coordinated effort to stamp out pollution at the source.

Northern Beaches Council has carried out its most extensive building site inspection campaign to date, visiting 97 construction sites across the region in a single month as part of a coordinated effort to stamp out pollution at the source. The inspections were conducted throughout March 2026 under the 'Get the Site Right' campaign, which culminated in a dedicated Blitz Day on 19 March. The initiative is a joint effort involving NSW councils, Coastal Catchment Groups, WaterNSW, the NSW Environment Protection Authority and the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment — reflecting the scale of the challenge that construction runoff poses to local waterways and the broader environment. Of the 97 sites assessed, 46 were found to be fully compliant, with adequate erosion, sediment and waste controls in place. However, the remaining 51 sites presented issues of varying severity. Inspectors identified problems including uncovered stockpiles of materials, missing controls such as coir logs, sandbags and sediment fencing, uncontained waste, and sediment being tracked from vehicle access points onto public roads and into drainage systems. Council's response was proportionate to the...