Council staff are forced to clean up the mess to ensure the stormwater harvesting filters are clear of rubbish.

Orange councillor Neil Jones “despairs” over what can be done to stop people leaving rubbish in public spaces such as Ploughmans Creek and Blackmans Swamp Creek, which feed water into the city’s stormwater harvesting scheme.

“The imposition on council staff is incredible, they’ve got to make sure the stormwater traps are cleaned out,” he said.

Cr Jones said the waterways were constantly “choked up” with rubbish, with weeds and natural debris also contributing to the congestion.

“There are always shopping trolleys and bags dumped there and these are areas which are targeted year after year,” he said.

“I think we need to send a message that people should have greater respect for their environment.”

Cr Jones said a delegation of Orange councillors would put forward a motion to phase out single-use plastic bags in NSW at the Local Government NSW Annual Conference in October.

Cr Jones said the bag ban would have a positive impact on the state’s rubbish dumping problem.

tracey.prisk@fairfaxmedia.com.au