The number of people dumping their rubbish on Western Bay of Plenty roadsides and beaches has soared. Figures released to the Bay of Plenty Times show the Western Bay of Plenty District Council dealt with 202 dumpings in 2015. This surpassed the 10,100kg worth of rubbish recorded for the entire 2015/16 year. In the past six months, the council dealt with 621 rubbish dumping cases compared to 1168 for the 2015/16 year. Ms Maiden said the standard penalty was $400 for illegal dumping but "it is, however, very hard to track down the persons responsible ... as a result, no fines have been issued for illegal dumping in the past three years."

Source: New Zealand Herald January 30, 2017 02:01 UTC