Support for litter bylaw

New litter bylaw attracts strong support from Coromandel Peninsula residents

Proposals to fine those who regularly put their rubbish bags out on non-collection days have been welcomed by many Coromandel Peninsula residents.

The Thames-Coromandel District Council resolved last meeting to bring in fines for repeat offenders whose rubbish bags are often scavenged by dogs, birds and other animals resulting in litter problems and health issues for those who have to clean up afterwards.

Mayor Philippa Barriball said the new fines were introduced at the request of residents who were sick of having to clean up the resultant mess. “They are voluntarily helping to police the new bylaw without being asked by reporting repeat offenders to the Council,” she said.

“Council has put considerable effort in trying to educate people on their responsibilities over recent years but the message has obviously not got through to some of them.”

In answer to a recent newsletter sent out by a commercial property management company complaining that the proposed fines did not address the underlying issue that the current blue bag solution was not practical in key beach areas with high populations of animals and birds, the Mayor said the Council would welcome suggestions about how better to deal with what has always been a problem area.

“There are major financial as well as practical implications for the obvious alternatives – wheelie bins, heavier duty rubbish bags or more 24 hour facilities.”

Mayor Barriball says wheelie bins are not practical for a number of reasons and even though the Council has trialed heavier duty rubbish bags, they were only marginally successful and nobody wanted to pay more for them.

“We already increase the number of weekly collections in most Eastern Seaboard communities during the peak holiday period and have after hours facilities available in many of them.

Steps are currently being taken to provide an after hours facility at the Whangamata Refuse Transfer Station which should address concerns there.

She said there is money for new moloks in the draft 2009-2019 Ten Year Plan which is currently being put together by the Council and Mercury Bay South communities should make a submission to the plan if they wanted such a facility in their area. In the meantime, after hours facilities were available in Tairua and Pauanui.

The Mayor said the property management companies were well placed to solve this problem for their clients by making rubbish disposal a core part of their clean-up services, albeit at a cost.