Old tyres cost illegal dumper $860 in court
A man who illegally dumped 12 tyres on a west Auckland roadside has been prosecuted and required to pay more than $800 in fines, clean-up fees and court costs following an investigation by Auckland Council.
Auckland Council’s Waste Solutions Enforcement Officers were able to investigate the matter after a local resident called in the complaint last September and sent camera footage with the vehicle registration plate.
The defendant was charged under Section 15 of the Litter Act 1979 and entered a guilty plea for the 12 tyres that were caught on camera pouring out of the side door of his van at night. He was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine, court costs, and the clean-up fees coming to a total of $860.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said the prosecutions are sending a clear message that illegal dumping is unacceptable.
“The prosecutions contain a strong message for potential illegal dumpers,” he said.
“Far from being a cheap way of getting rid of rubbish, you will pay dearly when you are caught.
“If this person had dropped the tyres off at a Transfer Station, it would have cost around $80. The Waitākere Refuse and Recycling Station will take a broken car for $55, so there is really no excuse for this behaviour,” Phil Goff said.
“Aucklanders are taking full advantage of the 0800 NO DUMP line to report illegal dumping, and soon we will be expanding the online reporting options.
“Aucklanders care deeply about our natural environment. They don’t want to see our public spaces and natural waterways contaminated with illegally dumped rubbish.”
“They have had enough of lazy and selfish people who don’t care about the damage they do to the environment and expect others to meet the costs of clearing up after them.”
Following the successful prosecution in the Waitākere District Court, Auckland Council is encouraging more people to report illegal dumping.
Last year, close to 400 Aucklanders were fined for being irresponsible with their waste. This is a major increase since the campaign to stop illegal dumping began in 2017/18, when 91 LINs were issued.
Instant LIN fines range as high as $400 per infringement, but the goal is to get people to take responsibility for their waste before having to fine them. Significant illegal dumping cases can incur a fine of up to $30,000.
Aucklanders speaking up
The public awareness campaigns are producing results, and Auckland is cleaner because of it.
There was a 15 per cent reduction in the tonnage of dumped rubbish picked up last year, as more people call it in sooner, and the investigations team are able to fine perpetrators and change behaviour before the site can become a dumping ground.
Parul Sood, General Manager for Waste Solutions says there are encouraging trends with people being more responsible with their waste.
“The on-property inorganic collection service remains an easy way to manage bulky items from your clean-out. People are also visiting community recycling centers, transfer stations, donating to op-shops, or going online to rehome stuff.
“The situation is improving. However, 1345 tonnes of dumped rubbish was collected across Auckland last year, so we must continue our efforts. We ask everyone to remain alert and report incidents promptly. Our ultimate goal is to see no illegally dumped rubbish, as it has no place in our world-class city,” says Parul Sood.