Tararua District Council tries to identify owners of illegally dumped rubbish

Rubbish dumped on the side of a road is an example of the problem costing ratepayers thousands a year.

Fifty thousand dollars a year.

That’s how much it’s costing Tararua Distict Council’s ratepayers when people dump rubbish illegally.

In the quarterly regulatory services report, dated from July 1 to September 30 for the October council meeting, Regulatory Services manager Jim Single reported that there had been 50 incidents of illicit dumping.

He told the meeting that if that continued, it would be up to 200 by the end of the year.

In the 2021/22 financial year, there were 83 incidents, 135 in 2022/23 and 114 in 2023/24.

The council said in a statement that while it received numerous reports of illegal dumping, it was only able to issue infringements for around 20% of the cases.

“This is because we have difficulty identifying the people responsible for it.”

Single told councillors they would normally go through the rubbish to try to establish who put it there.

“We’ve got to go through it very carefully.

“It’s a stinky job, it’s a dangerous job, so when we get a name, we definitely issue an infringement.”

Under the council bylaw, a fine can be up to $400, depending on how substantial it is.

However, the council can also prosecute for more serious incidents, although such prosecutions do have a cost to them.

Single cited an example of a prosecution in which used television sets were dumped into a river.

Last year, the council was able to issue seven infringements.

Single said that in cases where the fine wasn’t paid, it would be reported to the court and a bailiff would follow up.

For those that can’t be identified, the council has made efforts to address this by covertly placing cameras in various locations.

“These cameras help the council to monitor and gather evidence and increase the chances of identifying and prosecuting offenders.”

Some of the hot spots around the district were near waterways, which was “concerning”, Mayor Tracey Collis said at last month’s meeting.

She said it might help to spread the word that if anyone saw any vehicles regularly in hot spots, or something out of character, to make a note of it.

The council urged every resident to dispose of their waste responsibly and reuse, recycle or repurpose where possible.

“It’s important for everyone to rethink their purchases, consider whether the packaging is recyclable or, if that packaging is going to incur additional costs to place in general refuse due to the packaging not being of recyclable material.”

The council said illegally dumped items often consisted of whiteware or steel items, which could be dropped off for free at transfer stations – fridges were the exception, as they needed to be degassed.

The council said it “strongly encourages residents to take advantage of these services and make more sustainable choices to reduce waste”.

Abandoned cars were also an issue, with nine recorded since July.

Single said unless they could identify who abandoned the vehicle, “nine times out of 10″ the council paid for the removal, at a cost of $300 per vehicle.

Information on refuse and recycling and what goes where can be found at: https://www.tararuadc.govt.nz/services/rubbish-and-recycling/what-goes-where.