Hokio Beach rubbish uncleared and worsening

Dumped rubbish at Hokio Beach.

Reports of rubbish dumped at Hokio Beach several weeks ago seemed to have gone unheeded, with the same rubbish still awaiting clean-up and more being added to the area.

The same resident who originally reported the fly-tipped trash, which included broken appliances and pharmaceutical containers, was dismayed last week to discover the same rubbish still there and more added to it.

The woman, who did not want to be named, retrieved all the rubbish from where it had been scattered in flax and sand dunes and placed it in a pile, before photographing it and appealing to the local community via Facebook for help in removing it as she felt the council weren't interested.

However, Horowhenua District Council, which received the earlier reports of the dumping, said it did send a contractor down several weeks ago and a pile of rubbish was retrieved, but it must have been yet another pile of rubbish, different from the one identified in the photos.

Fly-tipping on Hokio Beach.

Council environmental engineer Ryan Hughes said records showed the council's contractor was notified of the dumped rubbish on June 26.

"The contractor attended, found a pile of rubbish and collected it. However, it appears the rubbish collected was a different pile," he said.

"Hokio Beach is a problem area for dumped rubbish and correctly identifying the pile of rubbish a customer has notified us about can be difficult for contractors without an exact location."

Hughes said rubbish dumped on the beach came under the responsibility of Horizons Regional Council, but that the district council had sent their contractor on Horizons' behalf to clear the pile photographed last week.

He said the council was pursuing avenues of enquiry into identifying who had dumped the trash.

Pharmacy cream pottles amongst the rubbish did have a name printed on them, however Hughes said medical confidentiality could be an issue in using that information.