A Canterbury fisherman raised concerns after witnessing a man dumping trash on the beach and setting it on fire near Rakaia. The Ashburton District Council confirmed that the individual responsible was fined $400 for the incident.
Adam ‘Abbo’ Williams captured the confrontation on video at Dorie Beach, where the man arrived with a trailer full of rubbish. In the footage, the man can be seen lighting the trash on fire before Williams intervened and asked him to clean up the remaining items.
The video, which was shared on social media, gained significant attention before being taken down by Williams. He reported the incident to the police and Environment Canterbury, who are now investigating the matter.
The Ashburton District Council’s compliance and development group manager, Ian Hyde, emphasized the community’s zero-tolerance for such behavior. He stated that illegal dumping tarnishes the natural beauty of open spaces and that enforcement action will be taken against those who disregard the environment.
The incident has also been referred to Environment Canterbury for further investigation, focusing on potential breaches of the Canterbury Air Regional Plan related to outdoor burning activities.
While the police confirmed that the incident is not within their jurisdiction, Fire and Emergency NZ noted that there was a temporary fire ban in place in Canterbury at the time of the incident. However, outdoor fires are now permitted without a license.
-LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
