The Star: February 01, 2018

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Solutions to Sumner waste issues sought
TIDY: Bins along Sumner beach were tidied yesterday after
the city council acted on residents’ complaints.
PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER
• By Sarla Donovan
OVERFLOWING rubbish bins
along Sumner’s esplanade have
been cleaned up after the eyesore
was exposed in the media last
week.
Sumner Community Residents’
Association manager Liza Sparrow
went public last
week with concerns
about bins not being
emptied frequently
enough as hot weather
draws large crowds to
Liza
Sparrow
the beach.
Yesterday, the bins
were looking tidy with
no evidence of overflow.
But that’s not the end of the
matter. In a public forum at the
Linwood-Central-Heathcote
Community Board meeting on
Monday, Ms Sparrow and local
business owner, Donna Henderson,
called on the city council to
take action and put a long-term
plan in place “to resolve the ongoing
situation of inadequate rubbish
collection in the Sumner and
Taylors Mistake area.”
Ms Sparrow and Ms Henderson
asked for rubbish bins to be
emptied more often during the
summer months. They are currently
scheduled for one collection
per day, Sunday-Friday, and two
OVERFLOW: Pizza boxes, fish
and chip wrappers and other
rubbish filling up bins led to
complaints from residents
which the city council has now
acted on.
collections on Saturday.
They also asked that weather
reports be considered when
scheduling additional services,
for more bins or larger bins to be
put in place, especially in high-use
areas such as Cave Rock, and for
the city council to consider having
only one contractor responsible
for all areas – the beach, park and
footpath areas.
Currently there are different
contracts allocated for the beach
and street.
The board has asked city council
staff for advice on the issues
raised.
Board member Darrell Latham
said it was a “long-term issue, not
Fire rages, homes at risk
a ‘recent hot day’ issue.”
In other developments, Canterbury
medical officer of health
Alistair Humphrey has written to
Dr Latham to offer his assistance.
One of the roles of the medical
officer of health under the Litter
Act 1979 is to ensure the city
council empties bins regularly.
Dr Latham said he had taken up
the offer and asked Dr Humphrey
to write to the city council regarding
its responsibilities under the
act.
And the residents’ association is
introducing Adopt a Patch, where
residents identify areas important
to them and work in teams to
keep these areas clean and tidy.
Ms Sparrow said the association
is actively supporting local
business initiatives like Plastic
Free Sumner and Joe’s Garage’s
offer of a coffee or hot chocolate
in exchange for a bucket full of
rubbish.
“Currently 100 buckets of rubbish
have been returned since Friday
and only about 40 per cent of
people even wanted a hot drink,”
Ms Sparrow said.
•HAVE YOUR SAY: What do
you think is the solution to
Sumner’s rubbish problem?
Email your thoughts to sarla.
donovan@starmedia.kiwi
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