South Wairarapa District Council has been forced to erect warning signs after litter louts covered a hillside near Martinborough with trash.
By Sue Teodoro of Local Democracy Reporting
The items had been dumped down a steep bank in a picturesque part of the district, near a river. They included discarded bottles, empty cans, a broken lawnmower and a duvet inner.
The council is warning offenders they could face prosecution and a stiff fine of up to $5,000 if caught.
The waste appeared to be mostly material which could have been disposed of free by recycling it at any Wairarapa transfer station.
The illegal dump site was discovered on Longbush Rd, about 20km north of Martinborough.
The road was about 15 minutes drive from Martinborough and not a main thoroughfare.
Council chief executive Janice Smith estimated there could be about 500 glass bottles and other rubbish further down the hillside.
She said it appeared the rubbish had been accumulating for some time.
"Due to the inaccessible location of the dumping, it is going to be tricky to clean up."
On Tuesday, a statement on the council website said the waste could affect a nearby river.
“If waste leaches into waterways, it can cause harm to life in both rivers and the sea,” it said.
'Damaged by thoughtless dumping'
Mandy DeRitter, the council’s lead adviser for recovery and waste said in the statement the discovery was disappointing for the community and the council.
"Not only is this behaviour irresponsible but the large amount of broken glass now scattered across the site poses a real risk to wildlife, the environment and the people who will need to clean it up.
“A beautiful natural area has been damaged by thoughtless dumping."
Smith said the council would likely need to work with abseilers to get a full picture of the level of dumping and to retrieve the waste.
"Cleaning up the environment will be a priority, and staff will investigate the contents to see if there is anything that can identify the offenders.
"We have now installed a ‘no dumping’ sign at the site. Should dumping at this location reoccur, we will consider installing a camera."
Smith described the find as "very disappointing".
"Irresponsible actions such as flytipping costs our community and impacts our environment.
"Illegally dumped rubbish can be dangerous to the public, as it may contain hazardous objects such as sharp objects or asbestos. It can harm our local environment, injuring or killing birds, fish, plants, and damaging soil and waterways."
Smith encouraged everyone to do the right thing, respect the environment and use the free recycling and disposal services available.
The find comes following reports last year of an expensive fly tipping clean-up in the district.
It was initially estimated about $195,000 would be needed after several years' of illegal fly-tipping was discovered down a bank near Cape Palliser Rd.
After that cleanup was completed, the overall cost came in at about $145,000, or $50,000 less than forecast.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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