CSU and council have received $93,000 from the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to minimise littering at CSU in Bathurst and in the city.

The campaign will target the people of Bathurst and staff and students at CSU to educate and influence the community on the effects and overall costs of littering, and improve their behaviour.

CSU Vice Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann said residents, staff and students should be proud of Bathurst and the university and not discard litter thoughtlessly.

“Both the council and university invest considerable resources to keep Bathurst’s central business district and the campus clean and attractive,” he said.

Bathurst mayor Gary Rush said this important EPA grant was one of many ongoing initiatives between Charles Sturt University and Bathurst Regional Council.

“This partnership allows Bathurst Regional Council to maximise opportunities for the region, and in this case assists us in protecting significant environmental assets like the Macquarie River and keeping our beautiful city litter free,” he said.

The university is working with council to beautify areas and improve infrastructure by making bins more available and useable.

The NSW EPA will be running an anti-littering campaign in the lead-up to the Bathurst  1000 in early October, and with council’s and the university’s co-operation there will be extensive TV, radio and print advertising and outdoor banners, as well as EPA staff on the ground.

The project administrator, CSU Green project officer Gretel Purser, said the “Hey Tosser! Bathurst” project is an exciting initiative.

“As part of the project, the behaviour of residents and students will be observed and monitored in identified sites, with the aim to decrease the amount of litter on the ground, while the ratio of litter in bins to that on the ground will increase,” she said.

“The type of litter materials (takeaway containers, bottles, plastics, cigarette butts, etc) will be monitored and prioritised with the aim to reduce each litter type by at least 20 per cent.”

The project will run until the end of June 2015.