The Bay of Plenty Regional Council are thanking members of the public who commented and provided feedback on their Facebook post on June 7, after staff members were alerted to litter and household waste in the bell road boat ramp.

The council say on the post they went through the items and located some contact details, and they are following up on the evidence.

'In regards to the suggestions that we should lower dump fees, offer free pick up days and install more bins - rubbish collection is the responsibility of city and district councils, not regional councils.

'We wanted to point out though this is a user-pays system and in Western Bay of Plenty the fee reflects the cost of transporting this waste to the Waikato region where it is disposed of at consented landfills, constructed and operated to international environmental standards.

'We also wanted to point out that lowering the cost at landfills, and therefore making it easier to dump items, results in more things being thrown away – which doesn't help Papatunanuku/earth.

The BOP Regional Council advise if anyone comes across a polluted scene, or other pollution events, please call their 24/7 Pollution Hotline on 0800 884 883.