Frustrations are growing as illegal dumping plagues Auckland and leaves ratepayers with a multi-million dollar bill.
Cars, fridges, toxic waste and up to 500 mattresses per month are among the items being cleaned up across the city.
Reg Walker, contracts manager with Eco Maintenance, said nothing surprised him anymore.
“We get a lot of sheep carcasses. We’ve had a cow once dumped on a beach in Kawakawa Bay somewhere.
“Cars, half cars, boats, dinghies with holes in them. Marijuana, just the pots and the stalks.”
There were more than 1300 reports per month of illegal dumping in Auckland – more than 40 on average per day.
Walker said fridges were a common item, and up to 500 mattresses a month.
“The problem is they’re quite bulky, and when they get wet, they’re heavy as well.”
Auckland Council’s cost for collecting and disposing of illegal waste in the 2024 financial year was $2.7 million, a rise of $200,000 each year since 2022.
Walker says a lot of illegal dumping is happening in remote roadside areas, outside the public view.
“These are mainly in reserves and parks, or down these undeveloped areas, and non-residential areas.
“We’ve had to abseil down banks to collect these items that have just been thrown down from the top of a lookout.”
Additional costs were incurred when there were oversized or dangerous items.
“With a piano, this would be quite large and heavy as well, so if we come across that, then we’ve got to probably get four guys out there to winch that onto a truck.
“We have people dumping asbestos, hazardous waste, clumps of oil.”
All of these actions increased costs for the ratepayer, Walker said.
“If it’s rubbish down the bank, if it’s on a main 80kmh road, then we’ve got to organise traffic management as well. That there could be a cost of two grand for the traffic management and $1000 for the abseiling.”
Justine Haves, general manager of waste solutions at Auckland Council, said proactive steps were being taken to address the issue.
“Council has spent approximately $7500 on surveillance camera setups. Over the past three years, marketing campaigns to increase awareness and prevent illegal dumping have cost $174,000.
“A further $5600 has been spent on investigation stickers and $5200 on signs to deter illegal dumping.”
In the nine months until the end of March 2025, 375 fines were issued, totalling $123,950.
Haves said each situation was unique, but the infringement notices made a difference.
“If identified, we may be successful in getting the individual to remove the items, in which case there are no collection and disposal costs.”
But Walker said there was a mixed success rate.
“Most of these are outside people’s houses and they see that it’s been investigated and stickered, so then they remove [the rubbish] themselves, whereas, unless there’s actual evidence found, it’s quite hard to prosecute anyone.”
The Māngere-Otāhuhu Local Board has a project to tackle construction waste, and there are local clean up groups across Māngere, Otāhuhu, Manurewa, and Ōtara.
Community education is being used to raise awareness about inorganic waste collections and signs have been placed in dumping hotspots along with letterbox flyers advising where to take unwanted items.
A new mana whenua-led initiative in Māngere also focused on iwi-led monitoring to prevent illegal dumping.
The Tyrewise collection service was started last year, where unwanted tyres could be disposed of at collection stations.
Anyone who witnessed rubbish dumping could report it and Auckland Council would investigate. Call 0800 NO DUMP (0800 663 867). Thenumber operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
