A mammoth clean-up effort costing ratepayers $200,000 will soon be underway in South Wairarapa.
Several years’ worth of illegal fly-tipping was discovered down a bank near Cape Palliser Rd early last year.
A report to South Wairarapa District Council’s Strategy Working Committee said that, given the site’s challenging terrain, specialist contractors would be required to abseil down the cliff to remove the waste. The site is owned by the council.
The estimated cost for this work, assuming no hazardous materials were present, would be $152,556 for a 10-day operation, plus an additional $43,572.08 contingency for wet weather or asbestos removal.
The biggest individual cost in the job was for a specialist abseil team ($93,300).
Councillors would meet on Wednesday to vote on whether to borrow money to schedule the clean-up this financial year, or to wait until the 2025-26 financial year and fund the work through refuse rates.
Given the environmental risks, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Greater Wellington Regional Council, local iwi, and Heritage New Zealand had been informed.
Although the waste was not creating an issue beyond visual impacts, leaving the waste at the site meant that if anything fell into the river below, the council could face hefty fines from the EPA and a notice to clear the site in two weeks.
Council staff have recommended the clean-up happen sooner rather than later to mitigate potential legal action or fines.
Carrying out the work sooner would also reduce the risk of weather-related cost increases, the report said.
Due to the terrain, the exact volume of waste remained uncertain, but the council had budgeted for the removal of 30 tonnes of rubbish.
Further funding may be requested once the amount of waste has been determined.
Once the rubbish was cleared, site restoration would begin and deterrents would be implemented to prevent further dumping.
There would also be ongoing stakeholder engagement, ensuring compliance and long-term monitoring of the site.
Concrete blocks had already been installed to restrict vehicular access to the site.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
