Fence not stopping fly-tipping
A fence built to stop rubbish being dumped at a Taranaki rest stop is merely hiding refuse from view, a local resident says.
Mike Jones, a member of the Old Cocks Motorcycle Club, has stopped at the Mt Messenger rest stop on State Highway 3 north of New Plymouth almost every Saturday for the last three years and has seen it at its best and worst.
Mt Messenger’s notoriety as a dumping spot spans many years and prompted the NZ Transport Agency to build the $20,000 fence in June in an attempt to curb flytippers. Jones said the fence wasn’t doing its job and people were simply dumping their rubbish behind the fence, the only difference was that it was now hidden from view.
‘‘Perhaps a tennis court style fence would have been a better call,’’ he said.
‘‘That way you can see the rubbish, and it could be made high enough to stop people simply throwing rubbish over.
‘‘At the moment it’s barely six feet tall, hardly a barrier to anyone wanting to dump rubbish.’’
Jones said although the fence was inadequate he understood if the fence was higher, illegal dumpers would simply throw their rubbish along the state highway.
‘‘They had cameras up for a time but they simply weren’t high enough up, they were torn down pretty fast,’’ he said.
‘‘I think if you had cameras up high enough and fined people brutally for dumping rubbish it would deter people from dumping even down the road.’’
Jones discovered fresh rubbish dumped behind the fence last Saturday and said part of it was split where it looked as though a car or truck had backed into it.
A month ago hundreds of fish heads were found dumped just north of the Mt Messenger fence.
NZTA highway manager Ross I’Anson said the fence had achieved its primary aim of stopping trucks or cars from backing up to the summit’s edge and unloading their rubbish down the bank.
I’Anson said it was ‘‘incredibly disappointing’’ people were continuing to illegally dump rubbish at the site.
‘‘But it is simply not possible to prevent individuals who are determined to illegally dump rubbish from doing so, regardless how much signage or fencing is installed,’’ he said.
‘‘Given the length of the state highway network and the remoteness of some areas, it is not possible to completely prevent people who are determined to do so, from dumping rubbish at the side of the road.’’
I’Anson said the responsibility for the dumping lay ‘‘squarely with the individuals’’ doing the actual fly-tipping.
‘‘This behaviour is illegal, inconsiderate and harmful to the environment,’’ he said.
‘‘We have crews regularly clearing rubbish from all parts of the highway network and we respond quickly if we’re informed of rubbish being dumped.
‘‘The priority is on rubbish visible from the road.’’