Illegal dumpers targeting South Auckland’s empty building sites

Illegal dumpers continue to target the Flatbush community turning roads with empty lots into notorious dumping sites.

And local residents say reporting the issue has become increasingly difficult due to confusion about who owns the vacant sections.

“You have to actually research, ‘what could that [address] number be? You wouldn't have a clue what that is. It's a field—how can you know what that is?’,” says Sue Ripassa, speaking to Local Democracy Reporting while on her morning walk.

“If you go around, you'll see it on every street. You can see what a huge job it is, especially for someone like me. I've got a dog. I've got to take a photo, upload it, and find the exact address.”

Some of the illegal rubbish dumped on empty lots that continues to persist in the community. Photo / PMN News Mary Afemata

Ripassa, who has lived in Flatbush for 14 years, says rubbish has always been a problem, especially with the new roads, and despite clean-up efforts and community initiatives, the issue persists.

She says the situation has worsened with recent slow moving housing developments as the empty lots have become “a dumping ground”.

“If the person dumps the litter a metre back from the edge, [the council] won't touch it. It's only if it’s on council land they will pick it up.”

Ripassa admits this has led her to take the unusual action of dragging rubbish onto the roadside curbs.

“It's a huge job … and I don't know if there's an easy answer to it,” she says.

“You have to be really dedicated, and sometimes I'm dedicated to it. Other times I just walk past and I just feel depressed about it. Because it is soul-destroying to see all this rubbish.”

Once, she reported illegal dumping along an entire street but was told they couldn’t clean it all.

“I was told to take photos of every single pile, which I did, but it became such a huge job that I’ve kind of given up.”

Katie Jones (on the left) with Zara Moutere, Councillor Lotu Fuli and Krissy Bishop at a past Neat Streets event from 2018. Jones is the Ōtara Waterways and Lake Project Manager who aims to restore the Mauri of the waterways. Photo / PMN News

Katie Jones, Ōtara Waterways and Lake Project Manager says the trust receives funding to deal with illegal dumping and litter by way of community cleanups and through its community engagement programs.

“For the trust … the mission is to restore the mauri of the waterways, and so illegal dumping in our parks and in our waterways is a big issue. It's a source of pollution and contamination for our actual waterways. It indicates, you know, poor social behaviours, and it's unsightly for our communities.”

Jones says that illegal dumping is often perpetrated by people from outside the community, leading to ongoing issues.

Community engagement is an ongoing effort for the trust and Jones says while it takes years to build, they’ve been working specifically in the Flatbush area since 2021.

Damian Light, the chairperson of the Howick Local Board acknowledges how frustrating illegal dumping is and how it continues to be problematic in the community.

“We fund a construction waste enforcement programme where experts go to construction sites in Flatbush and they visit the builders and the developers there and make sure that they're looking after their waste and getting rid of it in a responsible way.

“They've also been trialling cameras on areas that we know are hotspots, to help with the enforcement piece because that's obviously part of it as well.

“The issue with private sites or non-public land is really complicated because council has very limited ability to do anything with it because it's privately owned.

“And so what we do is that the team will try and get hold of the land owner and try and get them to remove it.”

Chairman of the Howick Local Board Damian Light acknowledges how frustrating illegal dumping is and they are working solutions to address it. Photo/ Auckland Council/ Edited by PMN News.

Light says they’ve encouraged private owners to install fencing where possible to prevent illegal dumping.

“We always encourage locals to report it as quickly as possible because the sooner we get rid of it, it's a bit like graffiti, the sooner you get rid of it, one, it's gone, but also, two, it discourages people from contributing to the mess.”

He adds that the long-term plan includes two inorganic collections a year, but residents now have to book them online. Additionally, efforts are underway to establish a community recycling centre in East Tāmaki, near Flatbush in the future.

Auckland Council General Manager Waste Solutions Justine Haves responded to questions about the illegal dumping on empty building lots with the following statement:

“We understand the resident’s concerns with people treating their neighbourhood as a rubbish dump, and we are aware of unfenced, empty sites being used as places to dump rubbish. We are working with property owners in the Flat Bush area to help prevent dumping and identify offenders.”

There are signs visible in the area warning people they could be fined but the empty lots are still hot spots for illegal dumping. Photo / PMN News Mary Afemata

Haves says property owners must secure their sites against dumping with fencing, signage, or cameras. They're responsible for disposing of dumped rubbish, but if they have evidence or footage of the offender, the council can investigate on their behalf.

“We would like to remind everyone that we are all responsible for our own rubbish. There are no free public or private dumping places because rubbish has to be taken to privately owned landfill sites which charge for disposal.”

Auckland Council urges the public to report any illegal dumping on public or private land by calling 0800 NO DUMP, available 24/7.

Offenders caught dumping rubbish must remove it and can be fined up to $400, with serious cases facing fines up to $30,000.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.