Litter fines scheduled to increase

Illegal dumping in the Wanganui district is about to become more costly.

The Wanganui District Council's community and environment committee is recommending increases in the amount it fines people caught littering.

At the moment the maximum fine is set at $100, but councillors say this isn't punitive enough.

The committee is recommending the council sign off on a maximum fine of $400, which is the limit allowed under the Litter Act.

But council's waste manager Stuart Hylton, told the committee that while some will see the new fine as a deterrent, others will ignore it "and be happy to take their chances through a more costly court system".

Mr Hylton said each illegal littering offence was different in terms of what had been dumped, the quantity, its offensiveness, the effect on the environment, and the cost of cleaning it up.

The committee also recommended the officers be allowed to apply a sliding scale of fines, taking into account those variables.

Councillor Nicki Higgie said the minimum should be set at $200.

But Melanie Heron, customer services group manager, said a $100 fine still sent a very strong message to someone "dumping a bag of household rubbish".

"A repeat offender would be hit with significantly more than a $100 fine," Ms Heron said.

Mr Hylton said anyone caught dumping more than just general litter, such as animal carcasses, could face heftier fines through the court process if Horizons Regional Council decided to take action.