Fly-tipping vandals in council legal sights

Active steps are being taken by South Wairarapa’s council to stop illegal rubbish dumping at Te Kopi Cliffs on the south coast, which is likely causing significant environmental damage to water quality and marine life.

Branding the illegal fly-tipping as “malicious and intentionally irresponsible,” Councillor Rebecca Gray said the council, Greater Wellington Regional Council and the Environmental Protection Authority are all collaborating to stop the rubbish dumping.

The volume of waste dumped is substantial, unacceptable and potentially fatal to the environment, said council chief executive Janice Smith. 

Surveillance at the Te Kopi cliff site, which could include camera surveillance, and measures to 

prevent vehicle access to protect the natural landscape, water safety and marine life, are all being stepped up. 

Council staff believe the illegal dumping site at Te Kopi has been used for several years to throw household garbage and industrial refuse off the cliff edge.

“We will do everything we can to identify and prosecute those responsible for this illegal activity,” Smith said in a statement. The Star understands this includes staff retrieving and searching through the dumped rubbish to try and uncover the perpetrators.

“The council has a responsibility to clear the waste to comply with the Resource Management Act

and the Environmental Protection Agency. The initial expense will be borne by ratepayers, but we

will do everything we can to recover that (cost) from those causing the harm,” Smith said.

It is likely people are “intentionally going (to the Cliffs) to dump rubbish and household items. This is threatening the landscape quality of the water in the river below, which feeds into the ocean.” 

The primary concern lies with leachate, which flows from dumped material as it moulders over time.

The council notes that leachate typically contains hazardous substances such as heavy metals, organic compounds and pathogens, which can disrupt aquatic ecosystems, harm wildlife and pose significant health risks to humans. 

High levels of nitrates and phosphates from decomposing organic waste can lead to eutrophication, which depletes oxygen in water, kills fish and results in the loss of biodiversity.

Waste washing out to sea during storms or heavy rains is also a critical issue, as this debris can

pose danger to marine life and humans alike once it is in the ocean. 

Given that fishing is popular in the area, there is potential for catches to be contaminated by pollutants from the waste.

“I am deeply disappointed to hear that there are people who would rather damage and destroy our

beautiful natural environment than be responsible for their own waste. Shame on them,” said Gray, council lead on Community, Climate and Environmental Wellbeing.

“The financial burden (of such illegal activities) on the community is considerable and underscores the need for responsible waste management by the South Wairarapa community.

“The products we purchase and no longer want are our personal responsibility _ not that of the

environment or the council,” says Councillor Gray.

It is imperative that the community acts collaboratively to stop all illegal dumping along the coastline and in the countryside of the South Wairarapa district.

“We urge anyone with information about the illegal dumping to come forward and report it.”

Added Gray: “We need you to safeguard the future of our local ecosystem. By working together, we can preserve the natural beauty of the South Wairarapa and ensure a cleaner, healthier environment for future generations.”

Council staff are currently having the clean-up job assessed, noting that “due to the inaccessibility of the area it’s hard to tell how much is down there as we are not sure how deep the pile goes.” 

A timetable for cleaning up the illegal tip site has yet to be decided.  

To report illegal dumping: South Wairarapa District Council, phone 06 306 9611.

Caption: Drone pic shows illegal, ugly rubbish dumping at Te Kopi Cliffs on South Coast.