Mail found in dumped rubbish bags

Bags of dumped rubbish on Welcome Bay Rd. Photo / Supplied

A fuming Bay resident has handed mail found in rubbish illegally dumped in Welcome Bay to the council for investigation.

The resident, who did not want to be named, said he recently came across the huge pile of rubbish at the corner of Welcome Bay Rd and Waikite Rd. It included a bag containing mail. The receiver's details were clearly identifiable, he said.

"This makes me angry. It would seem the cost of visiting the council rubbish dump is higher than visiting the road for many Tauranga residents, especially Welcome Bay Rd," the man said.

"It seems to have become the unofficial rubbish tip for Tauranga."

The complainant said he had passed the details on to Western Bay of Plenty District Council. Council spokesman Frank Begley said it treated every illegal dumping complaint seriously and the clean-up contractor had been informed and the matter was being investigated.

"We have to be very careful that we can clearly identify the person who dumped the rubbish which may not be the same person who the items originally belonged to."

Council staff would attempt to identify the dumper and get the person to clean up the mess or impose a $500 fine to cover the cost.

Last month the Bay of Plenty Times featured a story about the growing trend of Tauranga residents also leaving unwanted furniture on the kerbside adding to the city's illegal dumping issues. Cleaning up illegally dumped rubbish costs Western Bay of Plenty District Council ratepayers $40,000 to $60,000 a year.