Scrap metal dealers target abandoned cars

Hundreds of car bodies abandoned in the Far North each year could disappear thanks to metal scrap dealers keen to make a quick buck.

Since the Far North District Council met last month to discuss how to crack down on the car dumping problem, the price of scrap steel has increased considerably.

Three scrap dealers have now offered to pick up and dispose of the cars -- at no cost to the council.

The problem of abandoned cars has irked Far North residents for years, with many accustomed to seeing cars dumped on roadsides, creeks, around houses and even on Ninety Mile Beach.

This year, the council increased their recovery and disposal of car bodies budget by $30,000 to $80,000 to help stem the 360 car bodies dumped in the area annually.

FNDC spokesman Rick McCall said the council had been keen to give $20 to $30 petrol vouchers to people who dumped their cars at designated disposal sites but that proposal was "now on hold" because of renewed interest from scrap dealers.

"What has changed is that the price of scrap metal has gone through the roof to about $200 a tonne.

"In the past we have had to pay to recover the cars but we have had offers to pick the vehicles up at no cost to us so this means we'll put the voucher incentive on hold until we finish talks with the scrap dealers," Mr McCall said.

Mr McCall said isolated areas in the Far North had the most abandoned cars, sighting an example a few years ago where 300 cars were picked up in North Hokianga in one swoop.

Auckland-based recycling contractors Gamma Corporation currently picks up car bodies from council transfer stations about three times a year but no contractor does it full-time.

Gamma Corporation owner Mike Morris said the problem of abandoned cars got worse every year. He put the increase down to the huge amount of second-hand Japanese import cars and tough warrant of fitness standards.

His company has been picking cars up in the Far North for 14 years.

"You typically have people here from lower socio-economic groups who can't afford to pay for warrants so they'll just dump their car and as Japanese imports are quite cheap, they'll just buy another one.

"I've seen heaps of cars parked beside houses and people deem that as an indication of wealth but the kuia have had enough and they are pushing for the cars to be taken away," Mr Morris said.

The FNDC will make a decision on whether they will employ a scrap dealer full-time by the end of next month.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)