Warning issued to rubbish dumpers
18 September 2015Council staff are taking a harsh line on rubbish dumping after an increase in calls about dumps springing up on rural roads.
At least once a week - sometimes more - the council is advised of household rubbish being dumped on rural roads around the district. Dumped material ranges from old bikes to mattresses to old kitchen appliances and huge piles of green waste.
Senior enforcement officer Ken Danby said more than 40 calls about large rubbish piles had come in since the beginning of this year but thought the problem could be more widespread.
I suspect there are some people who simply get in and clean it up themselves without calling council which is much appreciated. Otherwise, we need to pay council contractors to sort it out and of course, it's ratepayers who pick up the cost for that, he said.
Council staff did their best to identify offenders and if so, could issue fines to the tune of $400. This year, two people have been fined after help from the public in identifying culprits.
It's very helpful to be given a vehicle registration or description if people see the dumping happening; it makes it much easier for us to follow up and hold people accountable, he said.
People really take offence at this kind of behaviour and I don't blame them. In a district as attractive as ours which has dumping facilities and regular rubbish collections, it's simply not on.
Danby said the problem was particularly bad between SH3 and SH39 north of Ohaupo. And people moving house seemed more prone than others to use quiet rural roads as dumping grounds, he said.
It's pretty obvious when someone has moved properties. They will have a big clear out and dump bags of rubbish, or even loose rubbish, on rural back roads rather than dispose of it properly.
Danby encourged those who saw people dumping rubbish to report the offence by ringing the council immediately with as many details as possible. And he warned that people caught dumping rubbish could expect no leniency from council enforcement officers.
People in Waipa take a lot of pride in their communities and the wider environment. Ratepayers don't like this sort of behaviour and nor do we so it won't be tolerated, he said.
Media enquiries, contact Jeanette Tyrrell (on behalf of council) 027 507 7599