Neighbours fear the amount of rubbish has become a fire hazard. Photo / Leah Panapa
Neighbours fear the amount of rubbish has become a fire hazard. Photo / Leah Panapa
Broadcaster Leah Panapa has blasted authorities for allegedly not doing anything to help clear massive piles of rubbish in her neighbour's property.
The radio host, also known as the face of the Better Living television advertisements, took to social media site Twitter to vent about one of her neighbours, who she described as a hoarder.
"I need some help. Where do you turn when the Auckland Council [and] Fire Dept don't deem my hoarding neighbour a problem or fire risk?
"This is just the back of the property - it's like this and worse on all sides of his house. Where do I turn?"
She posted two photos showing rubbish piled to the top of the fence.
It is completely blocking the space between the house and the fence itself - on what would have been the grassy backyard.
The second photo shows one side of the property - again showing piles of household rubbish that can also be visible towards the front of the house.
Items include large appliances, furniture, bike parts, large containers, bits of plastic, large planks and bits of wood and ordinary household rubbish.
I need some help. Where do you turn when the @aucklandcouncil & Fire Dept don’t deem my hoarding neighbour a problem or fire risk!This is just the back of the property -it’s like this and worse on all sides of his house. Where do I turn? (He abuses us when we have approached him) pic.twitter.com/WpOw9UkcE0
Panapa told the Herald the North Shore property had only started to become an issue in the last couple of years when they noticed the owner had started to collect what she described as "junk".
"We were concerned obviously because it was pushed up on our fence."
But when her husband tried to approach the man, Panapa's husband was verbally abused, she said.
Panapa then made a call to the Auckland Council, she says, and an employee is said to have visited the property.
After that visit, she received a phone call from the council staff member allegedly saying although the property was "very messy", because it was not scraps or items that would ordinarily be found in a rubbish bin, it was not their jurisdiction, Panapa said.
Radio host Leah Pānapa. Photo / File
She was referred to the Fire Department instead. Another neighbour had also been in touch with the Police.
Panapa reported seeing rats and that after a council employee visited the property, she got a phone call.
The council staffer allegedly told her that because there were cats, the situation was "fine". Panapa said her neighbour did not have cats.
"I've just had enough. We all have," she said.
"We are all living with a pit and my fear is a fire. We're not picking on the guy because he's not a tidy neighbour.
"We just don't want to live with [the pit] anymore."
The Auckland Council has since replied to Panapa's post, asking her to send them a private message with the address of the property and a contact number for her.
"We can ask the compliance team involved to revisit this," Auckland Council wrote.
