Waipapakauri rubbish dumpers may have left a clue

A small part of the rubbish dumped at Waipapakauri. Photo / Michele Mitcalfe

Waipapakauri woman Michele Mitcalfe has her fingers crossed that whoever dumped rubbish on the side of Rotokawau Road last week will soon hear be hearing a knock on their door.

Among the plaster board, building materials, washing machines, a car grill and other household rubbish was a registration plate traced to a vehicle, and had been passed to the Far North District Council.

"Hopefully the dumpers can be tracked down and held responsible," Mrs Mitcalfe said.

"We the ratepayers will pay for this rubbish to be removed unless these people are found."
She had found the "stinking mess" on Friday, much of it in a culvert, where it would have been washed into the nearby lake.

"What these people have done is disgusting. I went back on the weekend to remove as much as I could. I felt the need to do this before the rain came." Most offensive was used nappies with maggots. There was also a large-screen Sony TV, a notebook, car radio, cigarette packets, a dog biscuit pack, broken glass, bottles and cans, and disintegrating rubbish bags.

"I spent lot of time clearing it up but there is still more for the FNDC contractor to pick up," she said. "I am so grateful that the rain was not so fierce on Monday."

Meanwhile a series of smaller dumps appeared on Bonnett Road, Kaitaia, last week, starting just west of where the seal ends and extending to the other side of the oxidation ponds.

One heap appeared to be reserved for bottles, but others included a microwave oven, a bra and other clothing, squabs, a wicker basket, a gumboot, a supermarket trolley that had seen better days, flat-screen TV, remains of a chair, paper and cardboard.