Illegal dumping..... made the news recently, Bags of excrement, a demolished house and 20 mummified hedgehogs are among the more unusual objects found dumped in Christchurchs residential red zone. The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) said since March 2012 there had been 968 reports of illegal rubbish dumping on Government-owned red zone land. Last week, Cera staff found a box of mummified hedgehogs in Avonside. About 20-25 dead, shrivelled hedgehogs were found loose, and some in bags, in the box, a Cera spokeswoman said. The zones, around east Christchurch, North Canterbury and the Port Hills, were written off by the Government after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes after being deemed unsuitable for building. Avon-Otakaro Network co-chairman Evan Smith said the derelict condition of red zones meant they had become a free tipping zone. If an area looks abandoned and not maintained, people take the opportunity to use it as a free dumping station, he said. Cera, the city council and Environment Canterbury (ECan) have combined authority for clearing rubbish. The top three red zone suburbs for illegal rubbish dumping were Bexley, with 151 reports, Avondale, with 150 and Burwood, with 124. Dumping on vacant or demolished properties had increased since the earthquakes, authorities said. The majority of which are such items usually associated with demolition work . . . asbestos containing material, paint and used oil. Last year, a partially-demolished modern brick home was found dumped on Courtenay Drive in Kaiapois red zone. It was not known where it came from. The city council has received 500 complaints since March 2012, relating to rubbish on roadsides outside of the red zone areas. Approximately 25 per cent of complaints about untidy properties relate to the presence of and/or the dumping of rubbish, the city council said. ECan received 59 complaints. The Press reported in August a dozen directors and/or companies had been fined about $300,000 by ECan and the courts for offences since February 2011. Smith said city council rubbish dumping fees could be a factor. It is not affordable for some . . . in particular, with household rubbish like furniture and concrete waste. Dumping rubbish in the red zone was disrespectful, he said.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 22:03:11 +0000
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