‘I have had a gutsful’
Illegal dumping costs landowner thousands of dollars every year.
Geoff Lamb has a big problem, so he’s come up with a big solution. Every week household rubbish, from mattresses to household furniture to all kinds of plastic junk, is illegally dumped on land behind a row of shops he owns in Otara, Auckland.
So Lamb is in the process of putting a removable one-bedroom house, to be occupied by a staff member from his Wholesale Meats Direct business, on the site.
The rubbish, dumped under the cover of darkness, is costing him several thousands of dollars a year to remove. In some cases fresh loads were left within a day of the previous mess being cleaned up.
In the worst case he discovered 15 mattresses piled in a corner of the carpark.
“It’s just ongoing. Even since the inorganic collection [changed], it’s worse. In the last lot there were 15 mattresses sitting there. It’s terrible.
“I’ve had a gutsful.”
Part of the land is jointly owned with other businesses, including a pub and petrol station, but a section under his exclusive ownership was the site of a pile of rubbish that prompted a complaint to Auckland Council eight months ago.
Because the rubbish was on his land, Lamb was responsible for removing it. Some had suggested he put up a fence, but that was not possible in the carpark.
The council was no help, he said. “They won’t help me with cameras
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or security. They don’t want to know.” He installed his own cameras and sent footage of alleged dumpers to the council.
“I said ‘I got the info, I passed it to you and then you keep the money and I’ve still got to pay to get rid of the bloody rubbish’.”
Auckland Council waste solutions general manager Ian Stupple said the council was responsible for illegal rubbish dumping on public land, but would offer support to affected private property owners.
This could include providing surveillance from the council’s mobile cameras, and someone from the council would contact Lamb to discuss options.
“It is terrible [illegal dumping]. It’s a total disregard of other people, businesses and the whole community, so we are keen to play our part to help.”
Illegal rubbish dumpers were usually repeat offenders, especially if they found somewhere they believed they could return to.
Council figures showed dumping had not increased since changes to inorganic collection, Stupple said.
Since October 2015 rates-funded inorganic collection takes place once a year under a booking system.
Up to one cubic metre of material, roughly the equivalent of a small trailer load, was collected on the property.
Previously inorganic collection took place kerbside, but that was susceptible to illegal dumping of prohibited items, Stupple said.
The council spent more than $1 million each year cleaning up illegally dumped rubbish, but received only $40,000 to $50,000 in fines.
Any incentives, such as payment for information, would have to be funded by ratepayers, he said.
Those caught dumping rubbish can be fined between $100 and $400, depending on the amount dumped and whether it is a repeat offence.
The penalty for a successful prosecution in relation to illegal dumping is up to $30,000.