Overflowing dog and rubbish bins around the district has prompted Waipā compliance manager Karl Tutty to warn residents of their responsibilities.
Picking up doggy poos is up to their owners he said – and residents should not put household rubbish into town bins.
“Council is not obliged to provide dog bins and many councils don’t. However, Waipā has put in 46 dog waste bins across the district, funded by dog registration fees, to help dog owners meet their responsibilities,” he said.
“If the bin is full, we would implore dog owners to let us know, but also to take the waste home with them and dispose of it, rather than create a unsightly mess no-one wants to see.”
A dog bin in Swayne Road, Cambridge – installed late last year following public requests – has been more popular than anticipated.
“Now that we have a better handle on its use, we will be adjusting the frequency of how often it’s emptied. Some dog bins are emptied daily; others weekly or fortnightly depending on use.”
Full doggy bags in Cambridge
Rubbish bins in the central business districts are emptied daily but contractors noted on a recent weekend they saw lots of household rubbish.
“It’s a no-no to use public bins for the disposal of household rubbish. Household rubbish is the responsibility of that household,” said Tutty.
The council has asked its contractors to go through dumped household rubbish bags to find identification. Dumping household rubbish in public bins is subject to a $400 fine.
Meanwhile Waipā parks staff have hit 2023 running after 300 more mms of rain fell around the district in the last three months than usual.
Once the rain stopped late last week, staff were out weeding and cleaning up.
