Have your say: What rubbish

Dumping of rubbish outside the gates of the Hikurangi Tip.

Some in council must have their heads in the sand; first they said the change from rubbish collection paid for out of rates to direct charging did not increase the incidence of illegal dumping. Now they say the reduction in opening hours of rubbish transfer stations would also have no adverse effect. Duh!

Witness the predictable result, rubbish dumped outside the transfer station gates.

Although I definitely agree illegal rubbish dumping is abhorrent, one has to have a little sympathy for our "country cousins" who possibly drive several kilometres to a transfer station only to be confronted by locked gates.

This would raise the blood pressure of any normally law-abiding citizen. Why can't council display a little honesty and admit reducing hours is strictly a cost-saving measure.

Reduction in hours as stated from 66.5 hours to 28 hours per week seems excessive.

For every action in life there is usually an adverse reaction, which in this situation has resulted in more illegal dumping.

I have no objection to rubbish collection charges. However, a compensating rates reduction should have been given when direct charges were introduced a few years ago. This did not happen.

David F Little
Whangarei

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