Illegal dumping costs Ashburton ratepayers up to $15k a year
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Illegal dumping continues to hit ratepayers in the pocket, with volunteers sending a message to the culprits: "Don't be a tosser."
Ashburton District Council paid $13,000 to clean up illegal dumping in 2022-23, and from June to September the bill has tallied $1700, infrastructure and open spaces group manager Neil McCann said.
“The first three months are trending slightly lower than usual. Annually the cost usually falls somewhere between $10,000 and $15,000."
The cost of disposal and council staff investigation time is not included in the price.
One offender was found and issued a fine of $400, he said.
The cost for the council did not take into account the work of Litter-Free Ashburton, McCann said.
The local volunteering group did monthly litter pickups around Ashburton, and most of what they picked up was illegally dumped material, McCann said.
The volunteers, a group of about 16 mostly retired people, meet on the second Thursday of every month and target trouble spots around Ashburton.
Litter-Free Ashburton spokesperson Bev Skates said the group usually collected about 20 bags of rubbish, ranging from common household rubbish to the bedding, tyres, pallets, carpet, furniture and other large items.
“People are just too lazy to go to the dump,” Skates said.
Once the litter is bagged and piled up at a location, the council organises its collection.
The council supplied hi-vis vests and tools to help the group, Skates said, and it also cut back tree branches to reduce illegal dumping.
One of the worst hit areas was North Park Reserve, the strip of land along State Highway 1 at the northern end of town, Skates said.
Rubbish was found all along the stretch of the highway from people throwing items out of their vehicles on their way out of town, she said.
“We don’t want tossers.”
Rather than adding more rubbish bins, people needed to use the available one and have some social responsibility, she said.
A recent council report highlighted that illegal dumping is prevalent around Melrose Rd, which leads to the Ashburton/Hakatere River, and Alford Forest Rd on the western edge of Ashburton.
Elizabeth Ave is the trouble spot in Rakaia, with illegal dumping occurring at the edge of town near the Rakaia Domain.
Methven had no reports of illegal dumping in September, but the report stated there had been an increase in dumping at the Methven recycling facility.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.5% Yes
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46.5% No
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
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