A Rakaia fisherman has complained to authorities after filming a man dumping trash on the beach and setting it alight.
Ashburton District Council confirmed a person had been fined $400 after the incident.
Adam “Abbo” Williams was fishing on Dorie Beach near the South Rakaia Huts on Thursday when a man pulled up with a trailer of rubbish.
Williams captured the encounter on video, which showed the man had lit some of the rubbish on fire, and was preparing to add more.
In an expletive-laden telling off, Williams asked the man to pack up the unburnt items and leave.
The short video showed old furniture ablaze on the beach while other items were loading back onto the trailer at Williams’ request.
Williams later posted the video to social media, where it was shared almost 1000 times before he removed it.
The local fisherman said he had reported the incident to police and Environment Canterbury and did not want to comment further as the matter was now under investigation.
The Ashburton District Council was also provided the video of the incident.
Council compliance and development group manager Ian Hyde said an individual has been identified and issued a $400 fine under the Litter Act.
“We know that our community has no tolerance for this sort of behaviour.
“Far too often, illegal dumping ruins the enjoyment and natural beauty of our open spaces, and we won’t hesitate to investigate and take enforcement action against those who display such disregard for our environment and other people.
“We thank the members of the public who brought this to our attention and enabled us to take action.”
The matter has also been referred to Environment Canterbury for investigation, he said.
ECan’s central compliance team leader, Gillian Jenkins, said the regional council was also aware of the video circulating on social media of an outdoor burning incident near the Rakaia Huts.
“We have initiated an investigation into this event.
“As the regional authority, our role is to investigate potential breaches of the Canterbury Air Regional Plan, including outdoor burning activities that may cause harmful smoke discharges, or public safety concerns.
“We work closely with Fire and Emergency New Zealand, which is the lead agency for fire safety.
“If a breach is confirmed, appropriate compliance action will be taken in line with the Resource Management Act and ECan’s enforcement policy.
“As this matter is now under investigation, we won’t be providing ongoing public comment.”
A police spokesperson said the incident was not currently a police matter.
Fire and Emergency NZ confirmed there was a temporary fire ban in place in Canterbury from October 22-27 due to the severe weather event, but the region was now in an open fire season.
That meant outdoor fires were allowed without a permit, but they acknowledged there “may be council fire bylaws in play at the beach”.
– LDR is local democracy reporting co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
