Illegal dumping: Auckland Council receives more than 24,000 reports

Auckland Council says it's received more than 24,000 reports of illegal dumping in the last financial year – with nearly half of them in South Auckland. So, what can be done?

Over the last two months, a toilet, a car seat and a two-seater couch have appeared on a patch of land outside a block of houses in the East Auckland suburb of Flat Bush.

The car seat has since found a new home but in recent days, a broken rattan chair has appeared next to the couch. In time, the land risks turning into a fully furnished living space for local pūkeko, one resident joked.

While it's an eyesore and a blight on the otherwise peaceful scenery, the council says the land is privately owned, meaning nothing can be done.

But whether on private land or council property, illegal dumping is a problem across the country.

Auckland Council says more than 2000 tonnes of waste is illegally dumped each year, costing ratepayers more than $2-3 million a year.

The council's acting general manager waste solutions Warwick Jaine told 1News illegal dumping "is a region‑wide problem and not confined to any single community".

In the last financial year, the council received 24,235 reports across the region, with South Auckland accounting for roughly 47% (11,449) of the reports.

A further 40% were reported in Central (4905) and West Auckland (4826), while 11% (2678) was in North Auckland. The remainder were on the Gulf Islands or had no location recorded.

That's up from the 16,681 reports made in 2023 to 2024, according to council figures.

The items typically picked up by council teams included household contents, clothing, mattresses, and building material and waste.

While the figures were high, it was a reflection of the region's size and population, Jaine said, adding that higher reporting "can also reflect strong community awareness rather than higher offending".

Further south, the Wellington City Council said an estimated 515 tonnes of illegal dumping was collected by its teams in the capital in the last financial year.

Meanwhile, figures from the Christchurch City Council revealed fly tipping has cost ratepayers there $2 million in the year to date. In the 2024/5 financial year, taxpayers forked out more than $2.7 million.

Jaine said Auckland Council receives around 2000 jobs a month, with 30-40% ending with the offender removing the items or being spoken to by staff.

In other instances, the items are collected by someone else.

Ultimately, the council tackles dumping with "a mix of education services and enforcement", he said.

"We make it easy to do the right thing and, basically, we make it harder to get away with the wrong thing.

"We will investigate. We will take enforcement action. And for more serious offending, we will pursue prosecution in the district courts."

In the 2024-2025 financial year, the council issued 599 fines – nearly double the 309 issued the year before.

Last October, a man was prosecuted after illegally dumping rubbish on the kerbside of a cul-de-sac in the South Auckland suburb of Māngere.

He was fined $750 plus costs.

Jaine says the "simplest thing" people can do is to check their council's website "so the items end up in the right place".

"What we're really urging people, really, is that there are other disposal mechanisms to use, not to put it out on public land which is a cost to ratepayers," he said.

"No one likes illegal dumping."

Jaine said people can take their unwanted items to the nearest transfer station or community recycling centre, or donate them to friends or family.

Op shops were also an option, he said, but urged people to "check first where donations be dropped off and certainly don't leave any items after hours".

Auckland Council also has a service available to pick up material that typically ends up illegally dumped.

But Jaine cautioned Kiwis to use a reputable operator when looking to dispose of rubbish.

"Be cautious of very cheap pickups that might be advertised online because some take payment and then simply go and dump the material off illegally. That's all adding to the problem."

The council also does "proactive pickups" at known hotspots and "reactive clean-ups".

Anyone caught illegally dumping could be fined up to $400, depending on the amount of rubbish.

Serious offences may be prosecuted under the Litter Act 1979 with a maximum penalty of $30,000.

Anyone who comes across items that have been illegally dumped is urged to contact their council and file a report.

"If you see dumping, whether it's a pile or someone adding to an old pile, please report it," he said.

"A quick report helps us investigate it and get it cleaner and get it cleaned up faster."

Anyone who spots illegal dumping has been urged to take photographs and jot down vehicles' number plates.