Media release

Friday 30 October, 2015

Council to target illegal dumping ‘hot spot’

Auckland Council has made an offer of expertise and resources to help deter illegal dumping at a ‘hot spot’ in Robertson Rd, Mangere.

The council is offering to install CCTV equipment at the privately-owned site where an unusually large and unsightly pile of inorganic rubbish has appeared. We are also investigating witness statements and other evidence with a view to prosecuting the culprits.

“Private landowners are responsible for clearing rubbish on their land, and in this case the landowner has been actively managing the site to prevent further dumping,” says Waste Solutions Manager Ian Stupple.

“Having said that, illegal dumping is highly undesirable because of its negative social and financial impacts, and we are keen to help as much as we can to deter this behaviour, and maintain clean, healthy and tidy streets.”

Witness statements suggest people are coming in from outside the neighbourhood to dump their rubbish.

“This display of disregard for other people’s health, safety and enjoyment of their community is particularly disappointing because up until this point illegal dumping volumes had dropped by 58 per cent in south Auckland, compared to the same period last year.

The evidence shows that people dump more when they see inorganic material out in the street – which is one of the reasons we are changing our collections so they are picked up from inside people’s properties, not the kerbside.”

With a cost of $1 million in clean ups every year, the council is appealing to residents to come forward when they see illegal dumping.

“We want people to tell us if they see any illegal dumping, so we can take action. People disposing of inorganic waste should give it away or sell it. If that is not possible they should get rid of it legally and responsibly at a transfer station, or by hiring a waste removal company or skip bin.”

Residents can also hold on to their inorganic items until they receive an inorganic collection. The new on-property, bookable, rates-funded collections will roll out across the south and the rest of the region between February and November 2016.

“The service is already running in parts of North Shore, Waitakere and Rodney, where we have already seen excellent results regarding resident behaviour, minimal illegal dumping and the diversion of inorganic material from landfill.”

ENDS

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