The most dangerous spots for untidy Kiwis
Greater Wellington danger zone for litterbugs, writes Shane Cowlishaw.
New Zealand prides itself on a clean, green image but litterbugs are more likely to be punished in some cities than others.
Figures show out five largest cities take starkly different approaches to keeping their spaces clean.
Under the Littering Act, councils can impose fines of up to $400 for littering, though many choose not to carry though with the penalty.
The greater Wellington region, comprising Wellington, Hutt City, Upper Hutt and Porirua councils, is by far the most prolific in handing out littering infringements.
But your chances of getting pinged for dropping a cigarette butt in the capital depends greatly on where you do it.
Neither Porirua or Upper Hutt issued a single littering fine between 2012 and October 2016.
But their neighbour Hutt City council was the country’s busiest, dishing out more than $100,000 in fines in the same period.
Hutt City regional services manager Geoff Stuart said residents were proactive in contacting the council if they witnessed littering or dumping. ‘‘It’s pretty simple really, people ring in and we get out straight away and catch the offender or follow up (with) the offender.’’
Upper Hutt Council regulatory services manager Richard Harbord said resources were focused on issues including barking dogs and noise complaints, rather than littering.
In Auckland, fines for littering have fluctuated since the creation of the supercity.
In the past five years they peaked in 2013/2014, when $25,850 in fines were doled out. Waste solutions general manager Ian Stupple said offending ranged from people putting out rubbish for collection late to large-scale illegal dumping.
In problem areas hidden cameras were sometimes used to catch offenders while in one case staff used a KFC receipt to track down a person who was repeatedly dropping their fried-chicken trash on the ground.
Tauranga City Council did not issue a single fine between 2012 and 2016, while in Christchurch a solitary fine for $100 was the only littering infringement recorded in the five year period.
In Hamilton an educational approach, which resulted in zero fines between 2012 and 2015, has been supplemented with enforcement action.
This year the council has issued 13 fines worth $4100.
Keep New Zealand Beautiful chief executive Heather Saunderson said littering fines were not high enough and should be raised.