Editorial: How many illegal Northland dumps are out there?

This illegal dump is on Russell Rd, heading toward Helena Bay. It's the second large scale roadside tip found in Northland this past year.

How many illegal dumps are there around Northland?

We know of at least two - this region's second large-scale roadside tip emerged this week near Helena Bay.

An incident of illegal dumping of rubbish in this area was apparently reported several years ago. Who knows whether it was looked into properly, but it didn't stop.

Its discovery this week - publicly at least, lazy locals have obviously used it for years - follows publicity around a roadside tip in a reserve in the Far North District.

That tip was publicly outed 11 months ago by a tourist.

Cleaning it up was easier said than done, in fact the clean-up only began this past month.
The Northern Advocate visited the Russell Rd, Helena Bay tip and found it was spread deep into the bush.

A discarded toilet was amongst the waste. History tells us that people stupid enough to pollute the environment this way are also dumb enough to leave evidence amongst the rubbish to identify themselves as the "dumpers". Hopefully they are fined. and more than a paltry $100.

These tips aren't easy to spot - the Advocate had to supply detailed instructions to Whangarei District Council (WDC) staff on how to find it.

And when you get close enough, the putrid stench is confirmation that you have arrived.

Our councils should look at changes made to waste disposal in the past decade, especially in rural areas, and ask themselves why people do this.

Other than laziness and a lack of respect for the environment, cost and a poor rates/council service ratio will be factors.

There will be other dumps too. Something unpleasant lurks on Mt Parihaka's roadside and hopefully it is not of the scale of these two.

The Far North District Council took too long to get rid of its illegal dump.

The only positive from this latest discovery is that the Whangarei District Council has pledged to get stuck into the clean-up ASAP.