Monaghan’s Beach rubbish ‘disgusting’

Piles of rubbish were left scattered near Monaghan’s Beach, just outside of Gore, last week....
Piles of rubbish were left scattered near Monaghan’s Beach, just outside of Gore, last week. PHOTO: GERRIT DOPPENBERG
Monaghan’s Beach is normally a nice summer spot where families can enjoy the rocky shores of the Mataura River.

But last week, a deluge of rubbish spoiled the scenic views, and caused headaches for nearby farmers and the council.

Share farmer Barry Harrex, who lives further up the road, said the rubbish was disgraceful.

"It’s terrible. I rung the council, I think it’s disgusting," he said.

Mr Harrex said he had seen multiple instances of dumping rubbish and vandalism at his farm.

"It’s frequent ... they probably clean the area twice a year or so. Not very good, is it, bloody terrible.

"There’s quite a few burnt-out cars since we’ve been there, that sort of thing. They’ve landed on our underpass, wrecked our fences," he said.

Mr Harrex said there was an easy solution for people looking to off-load rubbish.

"Take it to the dump. Pretty simple," he said.

Gore District Council critical services general manager Jason Domigan said in a statement the council had received 26 instances of dumped rubbish and litter for the past financial year.

These included fly tipping, but also abandoned vehicles or dead animals.

Mr Domigan said the council would issue an infringement if they could identify the culprit; however, such cases were rare, as it was very hard to prove who it was in most instances.

Mr Domigan said the cost of the clean-up generally fell to ratepayers.

Reports about fly tipping or rubbish can be reported to the council through its customer service request system.

Environment Southland can also be contacted through its 24/7 pollution hotline or through the Antenno app.

gerrit.doppenberg@alliedpress.co.nz