22 January 2021
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Housing and Thriving Communities Strategic Framework
Enquiry
Reporter asked: is there a particular Te Arawa agency the council works with on its housing strategy? Or a Te Arawa spokesperson who is best across the housing sector who we can get comment on regarding the state housing boost?
*NOTE: reporter was following up on a statement issued by Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick calling for more urgency on housing - see HERE on Council's website
Response
Reporter was referred to the appropriate spokespeople.
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Media: NZME (Rotorua Daily Post and BOP Times)
Topic: Illegal dumping
Enquiry
I'm keen to get some information regarding illegal rubbish dumping since December to the beginning of this week to see how bad it has been over the holiday season. TCC has experienced an increase, so I'm interested to see if you have also. Can you please answer the questions below? I will need your response by midday tomorrow.
Has the council seen an increase in illegal dumping?
Has the council seen an increase in complaints from members of the public and if so how many have there been?
What has the council done about this?
Has the council taken action against anyone and if so how many people and what does it entail?
What does it mean for the council when this happens - any impact on other services etc?
Are there any hot spots in the city where there seems to a lot of rubbish dumped?
Are there any trends in the types of things dumped?
Response
From Prashant Praveen, Solid Waste and Sustainability Manager at Rotorua Lakes Council:
Has the council seen an increase in illegal dumping? Has the council seen an increase in complaints (reports) from members of the public and if so how many have there been?
Illegal dumping fluctuates from year to year, as well as throughout the year due to season change and people's activity during this time.
Illegal dumpings collected by Council's rubbish contractor Smart Environmental (For your information: these collections have resulted from reports of illegal dumping to Council from members of the public, reports directly to Smart Environmental, and reports from Council staff.)
2020 | Number |
July | 38 |
August | 29 |
September | 80 |
October | 57 |
November | 66 |
December | 72 |
Total number of illegal dumpings reported to Council's Customer Centre (For your information: The column 'State Highways' includes all requests for service Council has received regarding illegal dumping on State Highways in the Rotorua District. These are attended to by NZ Transport Agency, rather than Council. Council attends to all other illegal dumping on public land within the district.)
2020 | Reports of illegal dumping of public land | Reports of illegal dumping on State Highways |
July | 42 | 5 |
August | 31 | 7 |
September | 33 | 4 |
October | 32 | 3 |
November | 48 | 0 |
December | 26 | 4 |
What has the council done about this?
Most instances of illegal dumping are removed within 24 hours of Council being notified about the site.
Council uses preventative measures such as reducing the surrounding vegetation, installing CCTV cameras, signage, public rubbish bins or working alongside the community to implement strategies to reduce the likelihood of dumping.
Has the council taken action against anyone and if so how many people and what does it entail?
It is difficult to catch people in the act and/or to gain enough evidence to conclusively prove the identity of the culprit.
Illegal dumping and littering are governed by the Litter Act 1979 and councils can either issue an infringement or file charges. This decision would be made in accordance with the type and severity of the littering/dumping.
How people can help
If you witness illegal dumping, do not approach the offenders but take notes, photos or videos of the person and their vehicle. This can help with identification and prosecution.
When reporting dumped rubbish it is very helpful if you supply photos that have a location tag. This can be done by turning on your location services on your smart device before taking the photo. This enables contractors to go straight to the dumping site rather than spending time searching for the rubbish.
What does it mean for the council when this happens - any impact on other services etc?
Illegal dumping is always concerning and disappointing. It's harmful to both the environment and the reputation of our city. When residents call to report illegal dumping, they are often disappointed about how the rubbish looks for our city.
It costs Council an estimated $100,000 a year to clean up illegal dumping.
It costs Council's customer centre and solid waste staff time, processing requests to have the rubbish cleaned up. It is also disruptive to our solid waste contractors' core services, as they need to divert staff to collect the dumped rubbish.
Are there any hot spots in the city where there seems to a lot of rubbish dumped?
(For your information only, not for comment: We prefer not to publicise the locations of illegal dumping 'hot spots' as it may encourage more.)
There are illegal dumping 'hot spots' in both urban and rural neighbourhoods. While the majority of illegal dumping takes place in urban areas, typically larger dumping cases occur in rural areas.
Are there any trends in the types of things dump?
The most commonly dumped items are bags of household waste, which could have been appropriately disposed of in a wheelie bin, as well as building materials, old furniture and mattresses.
There has been an increase in the dumping of commercial rubbish and building materials.
If you are completing renovation or maintenance work on your property, it is a good idea to check with any contractors you're using about whose responsibility it is to dispose of waste.