A Hawke’s Bay offroading club sick of being blamed for rubbish on riverbanks has embarked on a different kind of adventure.
The 21-year-old founder of the Hawke’s Bay Adventure NZ 4x4 Club George Christieson said they were constantly being associated with photos of illegally dumped rubbish near the rivers they play around in.
Christieson said his club were a close group of friends who had a passion for the outdoors. The oldest member is 24.
"Going off-road means we get to see sights that you can’t get to in modern cars.
"We see the comments on social media, on the daily. We don’t dump rubbish - it’s stupid and beyond a joke.
"So we decided to do something about it."
The club contacted the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s Ranger team, offering to volunteer their time to help clean up river berms.
A spokesperson for HBRC said together with the club they had tackled a site near Chesterhope Bridge, where illegal dumping had left a mess.
The club’s group of seven, along with the HBRC’s team, filled three trailers and two quad bike trailers with rubbish.
"There were so many kids’ toys and playsets, furniture and about 300 to 400 tyres. It really opened our eyes to what silly things people do," Christieson said.
Among the rubbish collected were eight power bills thrown into bushes “in an attempt to hide them”, Christieson, 21, said.
"We handed them to the council."
The HBRC spokesperson said it took rubbish dumping seriously.
"In this instance, we understand some electricity bills were found near the river. HBRC does not have enforcement powers for rubbish dumping – this responsibility generally sits with the city and district councils.
"Where we can, we pass on relevant information to them so they can investigate further. In this instance, the matter is under consideration.
"For any potential prosecution, it’s important that a proper chain of evidence is maintained – for example, photographs of the material in place and an assessment of how it got there. Without this, it can be difficult to take enforcement action."
The spokesperson said it works with the territorial councils on how to deal with illegal dumping across the region, as it was an ongoing challenge that needs a collective approach.
"But this crew certainly showed what community care looks like."
The 4X4 club is planning to make it a monthly event.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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