Friday, 27 September 2013
Keeping Upper Hutt beautiful
The Upper Hutt City Council is taking a stand against illegal dumping of household waste in an effort to preserve the
cleanliness of our public places and reduce the cost and risks of maintaining them.
Dumping of household or trade refuse in public places is illegal in Upper Hutt, both under a local bylaw and the Litter
Act. Despite this, some local residents have been dumping rubbish in public litter bins. Recently this has led the
Council to prosecute three local residents.
Illegal disposal of rubbish impacts more than the city’s appearance, leading to additional costs of rubbish removal and
risk to those charged with its collection. Rubbish containing broken glass, jagged or sharp materials, or any hazardous
substances threaten serious injury to anyone handling it. The risk of injury is so great that, under the Litter Act,
anyone caught illegally dumping such waste could face a fine up to $7,000 or one month’s imprisonment.
Council has not yet prosecuted under the Litter Act, but is pursuing offenders under the local Public Places Bylaw,
which may lead to individuals being fined up to $500.
“Most residents of Upper Hutt are mindful of the cleanliness of our city and do their bit to keep it clean, but some
individuals are letting down our whole community, dumping their household waste in public rubbish bins, which leads to
them overflowing creating mess and a safety hazard.” says Lachlan Wallach, Councils Asset Management and Operations
Director.
“It is important that people recognise that dumping household waste in public rubbish bins is illegal. While some may
believe they are getting off paying for refuse or recycling collection, the community ends up paying for this additional
waste, and that quickly adds up.
Council doesn’t like to prosecute its residents, but this issue impacts all of us. Household waste must be disposed of
responsibly, and public rubbish bins are not provided for this. I encourage all residents to ‘do the right thing’ and
dispose of your household waste through regular household refuse collection and recycling, and let us know when you see
someone illegally dumping household waste.”
Residents concerned about illegal dumping of household waste can contact Council on 527 2169.
END