Residents fed up with further rubbish dumping in south Auckland

Friday, 10 February 2017

Garth Tomas is fed up with people illegally dumping rubbish by a power transformer box in Otahuhu.

'I'm getting p….. off about it. It's been going on for too long.'

That's Garth Tomas's blunt assessment of the problem caused by people illegally dumping rubbish beside a Vector power transformer box in Otahuhu, south Auckland.

The rubbish pile contains items including traffic cones, timber, car tyres and children's play equipment.

The large pile on Rodney Street includes a bed frame, cardboard, red traffic cones, timber, alcohol boxes, car tyres and children's play equipment, among other items.

Auckland Council has placed a sticker on the rubbish saying it's being investigated and that dumpers face instant fines of $400 or up to $30,000 if convicted in court.

Auckland Council has placed a sticker on the rubbish stating that it's being investigated and dumpers face instant fines and conviction in court.

Tomas says the rubbish pile has been sitting there for months.

'A lot has been added to it. Can you imagine this happening in Remuera or another suburb like that?

Tomas says the rubbish has been piling up around the transformer box for months.

'It wouldn't happen.'

Tomas says he's asked the council numerous times to take away the rubbish.

'The amount of money they've spent removing [other] illegally dumped rubbish from this street would be more than $100,000 in the past 20 years.

'They're here every week. It's a health hazard.'

Tomas, who owns flats in the street, says he wants the rubbish removed and a cage erected around the transformer box to stop people from dumping rubbish there.

'It needs a long-term solution. I also want the council to reinstate signs warning against illegal dumping.

'If people knew they could phone the council and report rubbish dumping, they would.'

A spokeswoman for Vector says the site in Rodney St and a few others are 'ongoing problems' for the company.

'LIke others, it's being used as a free rubbish tip by some members of the public.

'Though we don't own the land, we've been there several times to clean it up.

'We will again arrange for the site to be cleared but from experience it won't be long before it happens again.'

The spokeswoman says the company has explored installing a fence and gates around the transformer but 'shut-off areas … tend to be used for concerning activities'.

'We're doing what we can within our control but we do see the need for a long-term solution targeting the wider community.'

'ONGOING ISSUE'

Council waste solutions general manager Ian Stupple says illegal rubbish dumping in and around the area is an ongoing issue it's keen to resolve.

Local residents have been spoken to 'on a number of occasions' to see if the offenders can be identified.

The council is talking to Vector to find a way to stop people dumping rubbish near the power transformer box, Stupple says.

No one has been fined for committing such an offence and the council has removed illegally dumped rubbish from the street once in the past six months, he says.

'In one instance the rubbish was dumped by a resident who promptly removed it.

'No other offenders have been identified.

'We can only issue fines if we find an offender.'

Stupple says signs warning against illegal dumping have been used in the past but are frequently removed, 'which means they are not necessarily the answer'.

'We would consider reinstalling the signs if we thought they would be more effective but it's not something we're considering at this stage.'

To report illegal rubbish dumping, phone 301 0101 or go to aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.