31 August 2020
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Littering
Enquiry
I am working on a story today about littering in the city and was hoping to please get some questions off to council about this.
- Have you noticed an increase in people littering in the city? Are there any spots in the city that are worse than others?
- What does council do to help control littering?
- What items are most commonly littered?
- One man I spoke too who picks up rubbish daily said he believed the city's littering and dumping problems would be solved if the landfill was free to use - do you have a response to this?
- If a person gets caught littering, what disciplinary actions are taken?
- Are there any other comments you wish to make on this topic?
Response
From Council's Solid Waste and Sustainability Manager, Prashant Praveen:
Littering is essentially a matter of people's behaviour and lack of respect for their community and for the environment. People need to take personal responsibility for doing the right thing.
Most people dispose of rubbish responsibly and see value in caring for our local environment.
We haven't noticed an increase in littering recently but it is always a problem, particularly along roadsides.
Re what council does to help control littering:
Council provides bins at the likes of reserves, parks, suburban shopping areas and in the CBD and signage in some areas to deter littering.
Contractors who empty public rubbish bins collect any litter in the area at the same time.
Council is proud to support a number of advocate groups who are dedicated to caring for the whenua by collecting litter or educating others on the importance of disposing of waste correctly.
We also rely on information from the community about litter issues so we can organise clean ups but Council receives very few reports of littering.
Re landfill fees:
The reality is that there is a substantial cost involved in disposing of the community's rubbish so someone has to pay and if the landfill were fee-free, the burden of that cost would fall only on ratepayers. Council's view is that the burden of cost for waste should be carried by the individuals who create it, not just people who pay rates.
Re common litter:
Food wrappings, drink bottles and cans, paper items.
Re fines etc for littering:
Like illegal dumping, 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.
An infringement can be up to $400 and a fine resulting from prosecution can be up to $5000 per individual involved. If the 'litter' could endanger someone or cause injury or sickness, for example broken bottles, the fine can be up $7500 per person involved.
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Media: Stuff
Topic: Anti-social behaviour near motels housing homeless
Enquiry
Wanted to ask whether it would be possible to get some comment from Mayor Steve today?
Been asked to follow up on the Post piece about a rise in anti-social behaviour around the Fenton St motels used to house the homeless.
First I wanted to ask: Steve mentioned holding a meeting on this subject - can she tell me whether any date has been set and who she would like to sit down with?
I also wanted to ask where primarily is Steve hearing these concerns from? Police, the tourist sector, residents around the Fenton St area?
Is there a common theme to the issues she is hearing about, anti-social behaviour, for example?
It seems Todd McClay believes MSD is bringing people into Rotorua from elsewhere, while the MSD says this is not the case - is Steve able to give a view on whether this is or isn't happening?
Response
From Mayor Steve Chadwick:
I'm very concerned about reports coming from the community and police about increasing anti-social behaviour and criminal activity associated with emergency housing accommodation in the Fenton Street/Glenholme area, and the effect this is having on local residents.
We need to get our local Central Government agency leaders together urgently to get the facts on the table and agree how we will address this - but the opportunity is much wider.
We need a better way to coordinate targeted all-of-government responses so we can maximise our collective efforts, working together on an ongoing basis to tackle issues and make a difference to achieve positive outcomes for our community.
We will be meeting with Rotorua's Central Government agency leaders this week.
People need to feel safe in their homes, neighbourhoods and businesses and Rotorua will not be a dumping ground for problems from other areas.
