A knitted Santa was amongst items dumped near the Castlecliff fishing platform.
A knitted Santa was amongst items dumped near the Castlecliff fishing platform.
This summer the Chronicle is bringing you another look at some of the best content of 2019. This story originally ran on January 2, 2019
A lovingly knitted Santa toy has come to a sad end, turning up amongst items dumped at Castlecliff in recent weeks.
Castlecliff resident Lynne Douglas said there had been a spate of dumping in the fishing platform, North Mole and Morgan St areas.
"Someone went to a lot of trouble to knit this lovely Santa and someone else went to a lot of trouble also to dump it, among a pile of household rubbish and clothes," Douglas said.
The items were dumped near the fishing platform area.
During the past two weeks there had been at least three dumpings of burnt remains of bottles, cans, metal objects, concrete, bricks, rotten wood with nails sticking up, clothes, polystyrene packing, bags of filthy disposable napkins, rotting food and animal remains, along with many dumpings of garden waste, Douglas said.
More incinerated remains of bottles, wire, cans, metal objects, packing and piles of garden waste had been dumped towards the North Mole.
"The rubbish bin on the Morgan St carpark was hit by a vehicle and knocked over on December 23, spilling the contents on to the sand and carpark. It remained there until the end of the week, when it was removed the day phone calls from the general public were made to [Whanganui District] Council.
"In the Gilberd St area, by the old boat ramp, someone kindly dumped this disgusting pile of household rubbish, mostly comprised again of soiled disposable nappies, packaging and stinking rotten food remains.
"Someone had enough money to buy a new X-Box, but they did not have enough money to buy a rubbish sticker or two. They also left a photo behind in this lot."
Douglas was concerned about the impression the dumping was giving visitors to Whanganui.
"We realise it is the holiday period but, honestly, this is really too much. We keep reading articles on how we want to be the most beautiful city ... and how well we are doing in Whanganui with the Masters Games, etc, when, in actual fact, this is what our visitors to the fishing area and beach have been seeing."
Douglas questioned whether dumped items would be allowed to remain for a week at other high profile areas such as Springvale Park or Virginia Lake and why health hazards were not being removed.
Castlecliff residents had repeatedly asked the council for CCTV surveillance of the beach and fishing area but nothing had been done, Douglas said.
Dumped items include rotten wood and household rubbish.
Castlecliff residents are fed up with rubbish being dumped in their suburb.
Someone dumped household rubbish, clothes and a Santa toy.
