Illegal dumping is an issue that occurs at many community spaces and reserves, and Van Dammes Lagoon in Mount Wellington had become a regular target.
Our Waste Solutions team has been called to the area numerous times, which not only wasted resources but created a risk of long-term environmental damage to the area.
Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board and Auckland Council’s Waste Solutions team pooled their resources in search of a solution to the quantity and regularity of illegal dumping happening at the reserve.
“We believe that part of the reason for the repeated dumping was due to the lack of sightlines from the roadside and that the car parks were open 24 hours, making them easy targets for night-time drop-offs”, explains Steve Jardine from Waste Solutions.
In mid-2022, security gates will be placed at both entrances; off Mt Wellington Highway and Te Horeta Road. This will effectively reduce the ability to drop truckloads of rubbish and waste in the car parks at night.
“This is not a cheap solution if you count the cost of the gates, installation, signage, maintenance as well as management opening and closing the gates daily,” says Maria Meredith, chairperson of Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board which is funding the project.
“However, the long-term environmental benefits and reduction in wasted resources will far outweigh that cost. Van Dammes Lagoon still has some weed and water quality issues, which we continue to work on. At least now illegal dumping will be less of an issue for this special part of Mt Wellington.”
If you see illegal dumping report it to Auckland Council at 0800 NODUMP (0800 663867).
