The Gisborne District Council says it did enough to monitor a dump that has since spilled into Awatere River, despite community outcry.
View of Awatere River. Photo: 123RF / Patrik Stedrak
Heavy rain burst the dump site beside the Awatere River near Te Araroa, spilling rubbish such as plastic bags, cans and food packaging into its waters.
Environment and resource management advisor to Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou, Hal Hovell, earlier told RNZ concerns had been raised with the council before.
When climate change meets plastic pollution. Storm surges are ripping open the retired dumpsite located at our rivermouth and its spewing its guts out into our awa and coastline. pic.twitter.com/lf17EyOSWh
— Tina Ngata (@tinangata) July 6, 2020
"There were a number of community meetings held, the biggest problem was trying to find a site for a new area," Hovell said.
"Everyone wanted it removed but nobody wanted to give land for a new site... the problem was finding somewhere to take everything, and that's been something the council has trying to be finding a remedy to."
The council director of community lifelines, David Wilson, told RNZ engineers had been monitoring the river since those concerns had been raised.
"But the river decided to take a big chunk of it and came right across this way in the most recent event," he said.
"There had been enough of a buffer there, however with the high seas and the heavy rain event we had about 10 days ago, it's proven too much and that river changed course and started to come over harder than it has in the past."
He said "more than a few" trucks and trailer loads of rubbish had been taken away - he could not provide a specific number.
Over recent days, he said council staff had placed rocks over the whole site to make sure there would be no more spillage into the river.
There needed to be "a discussion with the community" to finalise a long-term solution, he said.
"This temporary fix is going to allow us to have those conversations with who we need to do about what is the long-term solution for that old landfill site."
The landfill site predates the district council, which was created under local government reforms in the late 1980s.
It closed when the council moved a modern transfer station in Te Araroa.
Wilson wanted to thank volunteers and contractors who had been helping fix the recent issue.
3 truckloads today. Awesome effort by the cleanup crew. Back down there tomorrow. And the next day. :-/ pic.twitter.com/HZspDJaYx6
— Tina Ngata (@tinangata) July 8, 2020
