Abandoned vehicle causes confusion

A Lower Hutt resident says the council and police are pointing the finger at each other over responsibility for clearing an abandoned car from a steep bank.

A silver Honda Odyssey appears to have been dumped off the side of Singers Rd, Korokoro, and came to rest 15 metres down the hill against some trees after being pushed through a blackberry bush.

Resident Tony Athfield said the people-mover had been there for some time and thought it was a safety hazard.

‘‘It’s not so far down that people can’t get to it. It’s a concern because kids can get into it. If I was a kid, I’d be down there like a rocket.

‘‘It’s about one quarter of the way to the bottom. It could take off [down the hill].’’

Calls to both the police and the Hutt City Council on June 19 had not resulted in progress towards the vehicle being removed. Athfield said he was advised by the council that recovery of the vehicle was a police matter, while police told him it was an issue for the council.

‘‘Nobody’s taking responsibility. As soon as someone has to take responsibility, everyone runs for the hills,’’ he said.

Council divisional manager regulatory services Geoff Stuart said the council became aware of the dumping this week and were investigating the matter.

‘‘A council officer has been dispatched to Singers Rd to determine the location of the car. Council will consult with the police and car owner to arrange removal.’’

Stuart also apologised for any confusion caused by information the council had given to Athfield regarding recovery of the vehicle.

‘‘If a member of the public gained conflicting information about who was responsible for dealing with this issue, we apologise and thank them for calling council with their concerns about this car.’’

Police said they were orig- inally alerted to the vehicle on May 14 and contacted the registered owner at the time.

They said responsibility for recovery lay with the owner and their insurance company.

Following Athfield’s complaint, police have been back to the site and said they will be in touch with the owner again.

MATTHEW TSO/ FAIRFAX NZ Tony Athfield says officials have run for the hills after he questioned who would recover a vehicle dumped off a steep Korokoro bank.