New litter bylaw strengthens powers to prosecute

Repeat offenders warned: Blue bags must only to be put out on the day they are collected.

People who continually leave rubbish bags out on non-collection days will be fined following the adoption by Thames-Coromandel District Council today of new provisions under the Litter Act.

The ability to issue infringements strengthens the powers of warranted council officers to act against anyone caught littering – whether it be dropping a cigarette butt, dumping garden waste or bigger items.

TCDC Environmental Services Manager Craig Birkett says fines are scaled in accordance with the volume of litter and the fines for leaving rubbish bags out on non-collection days will be given only for the worst case examples.

“We are going to be sensible about implementing this – it’s not about catching people out. We will issue infringements after sending warning letters to a person who leaves rubbish out on non-collection days and if they repeatedly ignore these warnings then they will be fined.”

Anyone caught littering is required to give their name and address to a Council Officer who is warranted under the Litter Act. The Council will issue infringements which will be pursued.

Rubbish bags that are left out on non-collection days have been identified as the cause of much of the peninsula’s litter because the bags are vulnerable to damage by animals. Much of the rubbish ends up in the ocean.

A TCDC-led clean-up of the peninsula’s beaches by local school children during Seaweek in March this year netted more than 4400 pieces of rubbish after little more than an hour collecting rubbish from beaches at Whangamata, Tairua, Coromandel and Whitianga.

The council also has a range of initiatives planned to help people reduce the amount of rubbish they produce. These include advice on composting and worm bins, and recycling education in schools.

TCDC Operations Manager Greg Hampton says people who continue to leave rubbish bags on the kerb before collection day causes many problems from animals tearing into bags. The litter creates a public nuisance, a health hazard, harms the environment and the Coromandel’s appeal to visitors.

“People leaving town must be responsible with how they dispose of rubbish, as it doesn’t take much effort to take your rubbish to the dump within the hours they operate, and we provide rubbish drop-off facilities 24hrs a day at several key locations.

Rubbish collection days and Refuse Transfer Station opening hours are included in the council’s newsletter TC Talk – which is mailed to all ratepayers in the district - and are on the website www.tcdc.govt.nz, or by contacting the council. As a general rule rubbish is collected a day later than usual on all holiday Mondays or when holidays fall during the week.

The 24-hour facilities for dropping off rubbish and recycling are at Whangapoua, Opito Bay, Tairua, Pauanui and Matarangi.