Rubbish piles up again
‘‘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.
The large eyesore in Rodney St includes a bed frame, cardboard, red traffic cones, timber, alcohol boxes, car tyres and children’s play equipment.
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.
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? It wouldn’t happen.’’
Tomas says he’s asked the council numerous times to remove 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 pile taken away and a cage erected around the transformer to stop people dumping rubbish.
‘‘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.’’
She 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.’’
Council waste solutions general manager Ian Stupple says it’s talking to Vector to find a way to stop people dumping rubbish near the power transformer box.
Signs warning against illegal dumping have been used in the past but are frequently removed, he says.
‘‘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.’’