Do your bit to stop rubbish dumping at rivers and beaches this summer
As the weather warms up, we’re reminding everyone that Illegal rubbish dumping harms the environment and leaves ratepayers footing the bill, and those caught can face hefty fines.
Each summer, we receive reports from concerned locals region-wide about large piles of dumped rubbish, like glass bottles, whiteware, furniture and burnt materials scattered at our rivers and beaches.
This illegal dumping harms our environment and means the community misses out on safe and enjoyable spaces for recreation. It also leaves ratepayers footing the bill for the expensive clean-up efforts.
People caught dumping rubbish of any kind in rivers or on beaches are on the hook for a hefty fine. This year, infringement fines increased to $1500 – double the amount compared with previous years.
Rivers in the Selwyn District, including the Waikirikiri Selwyn River and those in South Canterbury, like the Ōrāri, Temuka and Pareora rivers, are examples of where dumping has been an issue in the past.