Latest news with #FairfieldCityCouncil
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
One of Sydney's worst hoarders is issued with a stunning ultimatum after refusing to clean up his piles of junk
A Sydney man has been threatened with jail after failing to clean up an illegal waste dump on his property. Saviour Camilleri has been pursued by Fairfield City Council since 2006 for hoarding at two properties in Horsley Park, about 39km from CBD. He was given 'one final chance' on on Thursday to clear the waste or face a $45,000 fine for being in contempt of court. Mr Camilleri was found to have hoarded numerous items including building materials, trucks, scrap metal, shopping trolleys, baths and sinks. He was ordered to remove the items by Justice John Robson in the NSW Land and Environment Court, but was told he can keep one working tractor. Fairfield City Council began investigating Mr Camilleri after neighbours began noticing the pile up of rubbish in 2004. The council first took him to court in 2016 over 'unlawful storage of waste' and breaching planning laws. He faced subsequent court appearances after ignoring court orders to clean up the waste. On Thursday, Mr Robson found Mr Camilleri guilty of contempt for 'disobeying or otherwise failing to comply' with court orders from November 2022 relating to his Burley Road property, reported Sydney Morning Herald. He was handed a $45,000 fine, but told the payment would be suspended if he safely removed several waste materials, disposing of them at the correct facility and sharing the receipts with the council. Fairfield City Council had been looking for a suspended prison sentence following Mr Camilleri's previous guilty pleas over his other land. The council argued Mr Camilleri 'taken no steps towards complying with the court orders' and 'it was likely' he would reoffend. It was also argued a jail sentence could be suspended in order to provide Mr Camilleri with 'one final chance' to clean up the Horsley Park property. At the latest hearing, on April 4, Mr Camilleri represented himself with help from his partner Diane Borg. Mr Camilleri told the court he wanted to 'carry on' with his life, had lost work and 'was kind of broke'. However, he also accepted he had 'disobeyed' earlier court orders. Mr Camilleri disagreed with the council over the waste material on his land, arguing he needed 'gates and fencing stuff' for animals on his land. The judge said Mr Camilleri's breach of court orders involved 'deliberate defiance', but stated a prison sentence was a 'last resort'. Mr Camilleri was ordered to remove the 'waste materials' by August 14. If he fails to do so, the council will have the authority to enter the property from the following day to begin the clean-up operation within three months. Fairfield City Council would then send Mr Camilleri the bill.
The Guardian
07-02-2025
- The Guardian
Phyllis Tedesco has lived in western Sydney for 50 years. She's never visited Bondi
Phyllis Tedesco has lived in western Sydney for 50 years but has never visited the city's most famous beach, Bondi – until last weekend. The 67-year-old, who migrated from Italy when she was five, lives in Fairfield. On Sunday, she hopped aboard one of the free buses operated by her council this summer, ferrying locals to Sydney's eastern suburbs beaches to help combat the 'many barriers to access'. For Tedesco, the bus is a golden ticket. Apart from being free, it's air-conditioned and heads directly to Bondi beach, about 30km away – offering a relatively effortless escape to the sea for those living inland. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email 'I've always wanted to see it [Bondi],' Tedesco tells Guardian Australia. 'My daughter told me about this bus, and she said, 'Mum, this is your chance'.' Tedesco says she and her husband had previously tried to plan a trip to Bondi, 'but it's this train or that train'. It often seems 'easier to get the plane to go overseas than get to Bondi', she jokes. Travelling from Fairfield to Bondi takes an hour in a car but can cost $100 once you factor in tolls, fuel and parking for the day. Public transport is cheaper but involves various trains and buses – and an almost four-hour return journey. Fairfield City Council ran free buses from western Sydney to Bondi, Manly and Cronulla beaches in January and early February. (There were two trips to Bondi.) Expensive cars flank the bus as it rolls into Bondi on the first Sunday in February (about 55 minutes after it set off), but the passengers are transfixed on the blue beyond. A unified 'wow' rings out as the beach comes into view. The Fairfield council mayor, Frank Carbone, when announcing the initiative in mid-December, said: 'People from the west and south-west have been locked out of iconic beaches, which belong to everybody.' 'Let's face it. Pondi just isn't Bondi when it comes to enjoying a day out at the beach with real waves,' he said. Pondi is the nickname given to the man-made Penrith beach that opened in late 2023. Duong Nguyen, also from Fairfield, is on the bus to Bondi with her daughter and niece. The five-year-olds and Nguyen's sister are also first-timers. 'My daughter has eczema, so the beach is actually good for her, but it's very hard for us to drive there,' the 42-year-old says. 'This is just hop on hop off. I hope the service continues.' Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The council says demand was strong for the bus trips, with almost all seats booked most Sundays. Nearly 400 people signed up across the four visits, which cost the council $15,000. A reverse cultural exchange bus trip from Bondi to Cabramatta on Sunday had 35 participants. Britney Ong, 20, born and raised in Cabramatta, is on the bus to Bondi too. She believes 'the beach is free, so it's for all of Sydney to enjoy, rather than just the ones who live on the coast'. Phyllis Tedesco wants to see the express bus continue to operate. 'Look, you live where you live, so I don't expect it to be free, and burden the taxpayer, but it would be incredible to have another option that doesn't take all day to get there,' she says. 'I'd be happy to pay.' At this stage, there are no plans to make the council-funded bus trips a permanent summer fixture. Fairfield council wants the state government to provide free public transport and toll-free travel for those heading from western Sydney to the city's beaches on weekends. After six hours at Bondi on Sunday, Tedesco returns to the bus for the return journey home to Fairfield. She is thrilled to have finally seen the world-famous sand for herself. 'I absolutely love it, the atmosphere, the shops. We told the waiter we came from Fairfield and he gave us a complimentary dish to celebrate my first time to Bondi.'
