Waimea Weekly
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Wednesday 8 August 2012
th
Photo wins big
Page 7
It’s finals time
Birthday
Page 22
Page 13 - 15
Rubbish dumpers avoid fines Phillip Rollo Council has received four complaints of illegal rubbish dumping over the past two months as the problem continues near the region’s riverbeds. Two months ago, Tasman District Council decided to take a hard line on the trash offenders, saying anyone caught in the act would be slapped with an instant fine. No fine has since been issued because the council has been unable to chase any leads of alleged offenders during the period. Items being illegally dumped often include
dead animals, household rubbish and green waste. Ratepayers fork out $10,000 a year to cover the clean up costs for illegal dumpings, which had previously been occurring once a week. While the number of official complaints has been lower than average, TDC utilities engineer David Stephenson says it is too early to say whether council’s approach has made an impact. “Illegal dumping often comes and goes,” he says. “One event can skew the data, so we tend to measure progress over years rather than months.”
Dumping rubbish in public areas is illegal under the Litter Act and those caught could be slapped with an instant $400 fine. If the material is dangerous or causing significant environmental harm then the fine can be much higher. In June, David said the council was considering putting security cameras in place near hotspot areas. Popular areas for illegal rubbish dumpers include forestry blocks, back country roads and river berms largely in the Waimea and Moutere areas, although they tend to change over time. “Illegal dumping of rubbish has been going
on for as long as council has been in existence,” he says. Ironically, dumpers often spend more time and effort dumping the material that it would have cost them to dispose of it in the right place. Members of the public can assist the council by calling in any suspicious activity as soon as they see it. Council’s phones are answered 24 hours a day and they will follow up on all calls. Vehicle number plate details, time, date and offender descriptions will allow TDC to take action on the activity.
Kids join in Olympic fun
Ranzau School student Ella Ranson, 8, tries to emulate New Zealand’s impressive rowing feats at the Sport Tasman Mini Olympics. Photo: Phillip Rollo. Insert: Little People Early Learning Centre students Bevan van der Westhuizen, 3, Tayla Dixon, 4, and Dylan Coltman, 3, at their opening ceremony last week. Photo: Rosie Thomsen.
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Sundial Square was filled with budding Olympians last week as the Little People Early Learning Centre celebrated its own opening ceremony. The celebration was one of many, as primary school students throughout the region embrace the 2012 Olympic Games. The students got dressed up, paraded and released balloons last Wednesday morning to represent the beginning of their pre school’s own Olympic Games, after the event was delayed from Monday due to weather. The 50-odd students are representing five countries; New Zealand, South Africa, England, Ireland and Japan, and are competing in two activities a day until the closing ceremony next Friday. The activities include an obstacle course, fashion show, painting competition and dress the teacher. Other events included the Sport Tasman Mini Olympics held at Saxton Stadium on Monday, which most of the locals schools participated in.
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