Council is committed to finding the people responsible for dumping rubbish in secluded scenic spots around the district and holding them to account for environmental damage and expense they cause.

Compliance Team Leader Brenda Ralph said that her team was frustrated and upset at needing to respond to reports of household and other refuse being dumped down banks and polluting scenic areas and waterways.

“Besides the environmental damage and cost of the clean-up the really frustrating thing is that much of what is dumped could have been recycled or donated to local op-shops for free,” she said.

“If the people who dumped their rubbish at the start of the Sunshine Track off Piwakawaka Rd had made a little bit of an effort they could have easily reduced the actual refuse to a minimum that probably would have all fitted into a single pink kerbside rubbish bag which costs less than one of the recyclable aluminium RTD containers they threw down the bank.

It is clear from the outpouring of community feeling on social media in response to pictures of the dumping that a lot of people are disgusted at this type of behaviour.

The solution lies with the community and we are hoping that people will help us identify those responsible.

We will be going through the refuse looking for anything that can link back to someone as well as photographing items that we hope the public will help us identify the owners of.

People will be able to provide any information to Council in complete confidence and we will take things from there.”

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