Hokio Beach has again been targeted by people dumping rubbish, and residents are getting frustrated that their beach is being treated so badly.
A local woman, who wished to remain anonymous, was saddened in the weekend to discover a pile of trash, including a vacuum cleaner, old radiator and multiple plastic pots of pharmacy-supplied ointment dumped in the grass below a dune.
She took photos and shared them on social media, eliciting an outpouring of frustration from other residents about the pollution.
"There is rubbish dumped out there weekly," the woman said. "I could show you plenty."
The recent pile was ditched in an area at the end of the road past a children's play area and to the left on the beach.
The woman said there was also a spot among dunes near a bridge that was targeted, and that currently had an old bed, a steel chimney stack and concrete dumped there.
The woman said she felt frustrated about inaction on the dumping by the regional and district councils and thought beach dumping would not stop unless vehicles were prohibited on the beach.
Dumped rubbish at Hokio Beach is frustrating residents.
Horowhenua District Council environmental engineer Ryan Hughes said clearing rubbish dumped on the beach came under the responsibility of Horizons Regional Council, but that HDC assists Horizons by asking their own contractors to clear rubbish when necessary.
"In this case, we have asked our contractors to check the site and clear the rubbish if it is on public land," he said.
"However, the road to the beach is on private land and the contractors will not be able to clear the rubbish if it has been dumped in an area under private ownership."
Hughes said Hokio Beach was a frequent target for rubbish dumping, but that the council had no plans to stop drivers accessing beaches in Horowhenua at present.
He said keeping the district tidy was everyone's responsibility.
"Council prohibits fly tipping [illegal dumping of rubbish on the roadside or in a reserve] on land under our jurisdiction to maintain a clean and tidy district and to limit environmental impacts," he said.
"Council maintains two waste transfer stations and seven recycling stations throughout the district where people can dispose of waste and recyclable materials safely and appropriately."
Hughes said some of the material pictured from the recent dumping was electronic waste, and since December 2017 council had provided an e-waste recycling facility at the Foxton Transfer Station and Resource Recovery Park.
"Council also provides educational material to advise people how to dispose of a range of items, including medicines and potentially hazardous waste – for example, an A-Z 'What Goes Where' guide is freely available on our website," he said.
Hughes said reports of dumped rubbish go to the council's contractor, who looks at the material to identify the source if possible.
If the dumped rubbish contains this information, officers will contact the person responsible who could face a $400 on-the-spot fine or be prosecuted with a fine up to $5000.
