A 79-year-old Tauranga cyclist says illegal rubbish dumping is a “huge problem” for Tauranga, and the council numbers don’t disagree.

Margaret, who did not want her surname to be used, lives in Papamoa East, and says she has seen a “disgusting” amount of rubbish dumped while cycling on Tauranga’s roads.

In one incident last week, she saw a “truckload” of rubbish which had been dumped at Bell Road.

“I think it’s disgusting and absolutely appalling. A lot of people say this has become more common because the dump fees are too much. I don’t entirely believe that. I just believe there are so many people around who are too bloody lazy,” says Margaret.

The Tauranga City Council figures show Margaret likely isn’t alone.

Between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, the council received 1361 reports of illegal dumping.

As far as what this amount of rubbish looks like, Tauranga City Council waste operations and compliance team leader Hope Lawson says the reports “vary in scale” and can range from furniture and household items to bags of rubbish.

Margaret says this rubbish has been left for "months", while rubbish nearby has been cleared. Photo: Supplied.

The year before, the council received 1518 reports of illegal dumping.

When the council receives reports of illegal dumping, they are logged through an online portal which sends a request for contractors to action.

“Illegal dumping is typically cleaned within 48 hours.

“If the rubbish is a risk to public safety we will call our contractor directly to action as an urgent job.”

Despite the quick clean up time, Margaret has spotted and reported “loads” of illegally dumped rubbish, and finds a large amount is often dumped near the toll road at Tauranga Eastern Link.

“People stop on the road, get on the grass verge, and just throw it over the fence. I’ve even seen people throw stuff on the ground when there’s a bin around 10 metres away.”

Hope says the council takes illegal dumping reports seriously, and will organise clean up once a report is received.

“If evidence is available showing who dumped the items, our Bylaws team will investigate with the aim of having the material removed and either educating those involved or issuing them with a fine.

“Our community are often our eyes and ears, and we ask people to report illegal dumping to us so we know where and when it’s happening and can respond.

“People can report illegal dumping by calling our Contact Centre 24/7 on 07 577 7000 or can email us at [email protected]. It’s also quick and easy to report illegal dumping using our Kerbside Collections App.”