Burning bed on the beach

One WBRA member, Stephen Betts, recently reported a burnt out bed on the banks of the Waiorongomai Stream:

Went for a walk down to Waiorongomai Stream this morning picking up the usual detritus on the way.

This is what I found on the beach near the stream. It looks like someone has burnt out a bed since yesterday and had a bit of a party with some household waste.

It’s so frustrating: not only an illegal fire on the beach, but dumping rubbish along with it.

Burned Bed by the Waiorongomai Stream.
Burned Bed by the Waiorongomai Stream. Photo by Stephen Betts.
Burned Bed by the Waiorongomai Stream.
Burned Bed by the Waiorongomai Stream. Photo by Stephen Betts.

That wire looks exactly like the kind of thing that could catch a human foot, a horse hoof or a dog paw, especially with a thin layer of sand blown over it.

Here’s hoping Kāpiti District Council will remove the rubbish.

No wheelibin clips (for now)

We enquired about lid clips for recycling wheelibins (Re: reference CRM 158829/2019). See Ask for Wheelibin clips. The Horowhenua District Council replied a couple of days later:

Thank you for your email, at this stage Council does not supply these clips, after the winds on Monday we decided we needed to find a solution (sooner than we anticipated) and we are engaging with our contractors as to what the best solution for our district will be going forward but at this stage our contract does not cover any bin clips on bins.

We are however very aware of the clips you mention, having begun looking into these late last year when we started getting enquiries around how to secure bins in windy conditions.

Please do keep your eye on our website and Facebook, as if these do become available we will advertise them using these mediums.

Should you have any further enquiries please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Experience Team on (06) 366 0999.

Links: the Council’s website and Facebook page.

Ask for Wheelibin clips

Has this wind distributed the recycling from your wheelibin to your neighbours? Let the Horowhenua District Council know you’d like them to supply a free clip. One member sent us this email they’ve sent to the Council:

Our recycling bins today were unable to withstand the westerly quarter winds gusting down Strathnaver Drive at 60+ kph so we had to spend a quarter of an hour retrieving our papers and plastics from the gorse and lupins in a neighbouring paddock.

This is a common problem with this coastal community, affecting everyone, not just us. When we only had the crates we were at least able to put the heavier glass bottles on top to hold things down.

I note that some NZ Councils make free wheelie bin lid clips available, either with each bin, as in Wellington:

Wellington City Council has distributed clips to every household in the capital that currently has a recycling wheelie bin – to help keep a lid on it.

or on request, as in Selwyn:

Council are offering free wheelie bin lid clips upon request for properties exposed to high winds. These clips are designed to keep the lid of your wheelie bin sealed and secure in adverse weather conditions.

I believe Horowhenua District Council should also invest in this simple technology for keeping recycling in the bins, dry, and free from being blown around the neighbourhood.

Please supply us with free wheelie bin lid clips.

Update: we received this immediate response: I have sent your feedback to our environmental team to review. Please use reference CRM 158829/2019.

Later we received a more detailed reply: No wheelibin clips (for now).

$5,000 for a bit of garden waste?

Let’s say it’s just before 3 pm on a Saturday, maybe 26 October 2019. And let’s say you drive a red car onto the beach. The back is loaded with 2 full woolsacks or the like. Let’s say you drive onto the beach and speed off to the south.

This red car leaving the beach does not have any woolsacks on the back seat.
This red car leaving the beach around 3.04 pm on 26 October 2019 does not have any woolsacks on the back seat.

Continue reading “$5,000 for a bit of garden waste?”