It's twice made a scene on Mauao, it's made headlines in Tauranga City Council reports, and now it's cost ratepayers $11,000 to be salvaged by a helicopter.

That's equivalent to about a year's rates for three properties.

The perpetrator was a bright orange dumper – a four wheel, self-drive machine for carrying bulk materials.

Was it jinxed, was it all human error, or was it both? Either way it was expensive.

Earlier this month, a council team was at work on Mauao, using the hired dumper to replace displaced rocks after Cyclone Gabrielle.

Shortly after midday, the dumper rolled off a track, down the slope, and came to rest upended in an 'inaccessible” spot on the rocks. There was an added hazard – the sea was lapping at its front wheels.

If left, the $67,000 dumper would have been swallowed by an incoming tide.

Some decisions had to be taken quickly. Barbara Dempsey, general manager of community services says council took the most ‘environmentally friendly, safest and cost effective' option available.

And that option involved a chopper for salvaging the dumper and a bill to the city for $11,000.

Was it a machine fault or an operator fault? It remains to be seen. It's under investigation. It's also unclear whether the dumper is repairable, or whether it can be used again.

The good news, Barbara says, 'no staff were hurt".

This dumper loves trouble. Six months ago, the same orange dumper made headlines in a Tauranga City Council health and safety report after another mishap. 'Runaway dumpster on Mauao,” shouted the headline.

Dumper or dumpster – it seems both are applicable.

Six months ago, the same dumper ended up in a creek after rolling down a slope on Mauao. Photo: Tauranga City Council.

Either way, the dumper had rolled 'about three to four metres” and ended up in a creek. This was clearly operator fault - the brake had not been fully engaged. This recovery involved nothing more than a bit of brawn apparently.

But orange dumper's antics did filter through to a council strategy, finance and risk committee meeting.

'We've worked really closely with one of our contractors and recognising the importance of having competent operators operating those heavy machinery,” says health safety and wellbeing team leader Darren West.

Mauao means caught by the sun, but orange dumper was just about caught by the tide.