Dumping rubbish in borrow pits, excavated years ago for fill and gravel, has been going on for decades but a recent spate of dumping has led to a demand that the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), which is responsible for state highways, take action and fill them in.
The Waitaki District Council has also been approached and will prosecute anyone it can catch dumping illegally.
The issue has been discussed by the Ahuriri Community Board, and its chairman Craig Dawson and Omarama representative Mike Blackstock are crusading to have something done.
Given that hundreds of tourists in cars, campervans and buses passed the unsightly pits every day, Mr Blackstock, who described himself as "a concerned local, not a green Nazi", said it was "not a good look for the 100% Pure" image New Zealand promoted.
The NZTA intended to fill the pits in over time - but that was "time we haven't got", he said.
The large and deep pits are between Lake Ruataniwha and south of Omarama on the highway approach to the Lindis Pass.
Over the years, there have been frequent complaints of sporadic dumping, including household rubbish, car batteries, oil containers, waste oil, car bodies and hazardous substances.
The bottom of some of the pits were below the water table and substances could leach into the surrounding area.
One runholder, who also runs tourist accommodation, had a pit outside his property and arranged for a contractor to put clean fill near the pit so it could be pushed in to cover illegally dumped rubbish.
The issue has now been taken up with the NZTA, Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean, Waitaki District Council, Tourism New Zealand and Environment Canterbury.
Mr Blackstock suspected much of the dumping was by people living in the Twizel and Omarama communities.
"We know that some of these people can well afford to pay transfer stations costs to dispose of their rubbish, but proving they are using the pits is another matter," he said.
Waitaki District Council acting chief executive Richard Mabon said if the council could get evidence of who was dumping the rubbish it would prosecute.
He suspected that, because of the amount of rubbish, it was not a single individual.
"Anyone who sees that happening needs to come forward so we can identify these people," he said.
The community also needed to be educated that illegal dumping was not acceptable, he said.
Waitaki deputy mayor Gary Kircher looked at the matter while at Omarama yesterday and agreed there was "definitely a problem".
"Car bodies and other rubbish is not only not a good look, but environmentally pretty stupid," he said.
While it was New Zealand Transport Agency's responsibility as the highway administrator, Cr Kircher said the council also had a responsibility when some of its residents "were acting like tossers" by dumping the rubbish.
