A cul-de-sac in Auckland's Māngere has become a "persistent target" for illegal dumping, with contractors called out 55 times between February and October to clear waste.
Now, Auckland Council has convicted and fined the owner of a vehicle whose occupants were seen dumping rubbish at the site. Officials said the legal action was taken as part of a zero-tolerance crackdown.
In June last year, cameras captured waste being unloaded from a vehicle on the kerbside. The registered owner of the vehicle was tracked down but refused to identify those responsible and the matter was taken to court under the Litter Act 1979.
The defendant was fined $750 plus costs in October when they failed to meet the diversion conditions.
Auckland Council general manager of waste solutions Justine Haves said the case reflected the council's zero-tolerance approach to illegal dumping, with 599 fines issued in the past financial year — nearly double the previous year’s total. More than 2000 tonnes of waste was estimated to be illegally dumped across Auckland each year.
She said there was a range of options for people to responsibly and easily dispose of waste.
"Much of the household rubbish we find dumped could have gone into recycling or food scraps bins, if it had been sorted," she said.
"We also see a lot of mattresses and furniture that our inorganic collection service would have taken care of. These services are already covered by your rates, so we encourage everyone to make full use of them. Local community recycling centres also accept waste and recycling, often for a nominal fee."
Illegal dumping undermined residents taking pride in their neighbourhoods, Haves said, adding it was not just households but commercial waste contributing to the problem.
"In some cases, people are coming from outside the area to dump in these hotspots, which is unfair to locals who have to put up with the mess and its impacts. We would like to remind everyone that illegal dumping is unacceptable, and offenders will face enforcement action."
Offenders can face fines of up to $400 under the Litter Act 1979, and in some serious cases, prosecution with penalties as high as $30,000.
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