Illegal dumping headache for Massey residents
Massey is one of the suburbs worst-affected by illegal rubbish dumping, Auckland Council says.
Auckland Council general manager waste solutions, Parul Sood said the council received eight to 10 calls reporting illegal dumping in Waitakere every day.
Massey is ‘‘one of the worst areas’’ for illegal dumping.
Numbers in Hobsonville and Westgate are low compared with other areas, he said.
A spokesperson from the Massey Community Patrol said it was an ongoing issue, and they received reports of illegal dumping in the area ‘‘all the time’’.
The spokesperson said the most commonly dumped goods were household items such as mattresses, clothing and TVs.
Problem areas included the shops on Don Buck Rd and around Westgate. A dumping also recently occurred in Whenuapai.
‘‘It annoys me because, if you’ve got the wheels to take it [dump it], then take it to the concourse,’’ the spokesperson said.
Waitakere Refuse and Recycling Centre charge according to rubbish type and weight. Affordability might also be a factor in illegal dumping, the spokesperson said.
A Massey resident and member of Neighbourhood Support Waitakere said he had noticed an increase in the amount of dumping in his street over the past six months.
Items found have included couches, kitchenware, toys and garden clippings. The dumping often occurred at night, the Mudgeways Rd resident said.
‘‘You always, you know, come home from work and there’s nothing there. You wake in the morning, and you’re driving past old sofas.
‘‘We had a mattress pop up against the bank a few weeks ago. People just can’t be bothered.’’
Dumping along Birdwood Rd was also an issue, particularly off the bank into the creek, he said.
Sood said Auckland Council usually deals with illegal dumping. A council officer will visit the site and sticker the rubbish with an illegal dumping sticker. Before rubbish is removed, 24-hour removal notices may be delivered to adjacent properties and residents visited to see if they know where it has come from. Auckland Council was beginning a campaign to deal with illegal dumping, designed to generate pride in local areas and to encourage residents to report any sightings of dumping, Sood said. See aucklandcouncil.govt.nz to report illegal dumping.
‘‘People just can't be bothered.’’