Coast visitors reluctant to chip in

Visitors to the fishing village of Ngawi often struggle to pay their way. PHOTO/FILE

Day-trippers and holidaymakers love visiting South Wairarapa's wild and woolly coast, but when it comes to putting their hands in their pockets in appreciation of what they have enjoyed, they are seemingly not very keen.

Donations left in specially constructed donation boxes in the coastal reserves to help meet costs have been sparse over many months, according to South Wairarapa District Council.

In the past six months only $230 had been donated with visitors to Ngawi being the most tight-fisted, and in January -- despite a wonderful month of summer weather -- visitors parted with only $63.47.

What was left in the boxes was "a considerable number of stones" which the council's infrastructure and services manager Mark Allingham described in a report to council as having "no monetary value".

To add insult to injury, during the summer holidays some campervan owners thumbed their noses at the rules.

Ten Portaloos supplied for Ngawi were wrongly used, with some campers emptying their campervan toilet waste directly into them, meaning the contractor had to empty the portaloos much more often than should have been the case.

Adding to the frustration of the council's parks and reserve staff has been many instances of illegal rubbish dumping in the Featherston area. These have been mainly at Otauira Reserve and the northern end of Johnston St.

"Dumping has also included stock carcasses dumped in Abbotts Creek and at Lake Domain," Mr Allingham said.

On a brighter note, playgrounds and gardens in Featherston have been looking so good that district councillors have complimented contractors City Care on their efforts.

In Greytown, a fence on the East St side of Stella Bull Park has been replaced and bollards put in at the entrances to block vehicle access.

The Greytown Country Market held in the park continues to be very successful and the council is working in partnership with organisers to make sure vehicles are kept off the park on market days.

In Martinborough, picnic tables in the square have been waterblasted and cleaned up, and a water meter installed for the irrigation system to monitor the quantity of water used to irrigate the square.