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Anyone who deposits litter (whether inadvertently or otherwise) onto any private land without the consent of the owner of that private land, commits an offence under the Litter Act 1979.

It is important to define if the rubbish is on public or private property. Rubbish dumped on public land is dealt with by the Water and Waste Services department however the Environmental Health department deal with rubbish dumped on private property if it is seriously defacing that property.

Definitions under the Litter Act 1979

Litter

Any refuse, rubbish, animal remains, glass, metal, garbage, debris, dirt, filth, rubble, ballast, stones, earth or waste matter, or any other thing of a like nature

Depositing

Casting, placing, throwing or dropping litter and allowing litter to be cast, thrown, dropped or without reasonable excuse, to escape from any motor vehicle or trailer.

Illegally dumped rubbish

Rubbish is litter which has been deposited onto public or private property (whether inadvertently or not) without the consent of the owner of that property.

There are times when litter or rubbish is not regarded as being illegally dumped.

For example: overflowing public rubbish bins, wind blown rubbish, uncollected rubbish bags, dog faeces on the grass verge, etc. For advice or assistance with these cases contact the Dunedin City Council Customer Services Agency.

Catching the culprit

Dumped rubbish often contains evidence such as letters, envelopes etc, linking the rubbish to the offender. If you witness rubbish being dumped note down the registration number of the vehicle involved.

Without evidence there is little we can do. If no evidence is found, it is the responsibility of the owner of the property or land to have the rubbish removed.

Fines

In most cases the offender will be issued with an infringement notice and may be fined up to $400. If the litter is injurious to health, such as glass, syringes, spiky metal etc, prosecution under the Litter Act will be considered and may result in a fine of up to $7500 plus the cost of the rubbish removal.

Who do I contact

If you witness or would like to report illegally dumped rubbish contact us on 477 4000.