$500 bounty for catching Rotorua litterbugs

Washing machines, used nappies and even a dead dog - these are just a few of the items Rotorua residents have found dumped on their streets lately.

Rotorua Lakes Councillor Charles Sturt is so fed up, he's offering a $500 bounty out of his own pocket to anyone who catches a litterbug in the act.

"I shouldn't have to do it, but I'm just getting calls from people who have had a gutsful of it," he told The AM Show on Thursday.

Cleaning up the garbage explosion has cost ratepayers $53,000 in the past six months.

Poll: Would you dob in your neighbour for a $500 reward?

Locals have set a roster to look out for litterers, and Mr Sturt is doing his own sleuthing.

"I've had two leads - one lady in Clouston Cres, she was getting out as a tenant and dumped a trailerload of rubbish up Otarua Rd. Unfortunately she's gone to Australia.

"It's not neighbours doing it - it's people from other areas doing it. It's just disgusting."

Mr Sturt says the dumping is ruining the tourist region's pristine environments.

Charles Sturt (The AM Show/Newshub.)
Charles Sturt (The AM Show/Newshub.)

"Up Mt Ngongotaha at the moment there's 10 white rubbish bags of green waste - we've got green waste people in the town. There is no excuse for this."

A carload of rubbish costs $15 to dump at the city's landfill, while it's $35 for a van or trailer load, and $138 per tonne if you've got a truck.

Mr Sturt says while charges have recently risen, there's "no excuse" for littering, but it shows the city needs an inorganic collection service, like Auckland.

"I'm happy to partner with the private sector. It doesn't have to be the council," he says, pointing to the success of the city's recycling service.

"There's money in metal and steel and recycling, so let's partner with the private sector. The kerbside recycling's done by a private contractor. The service had some teething problems, but it's going great guns."

Illegal dumping has been an ongoing problem for Rotorua, with reports of massive clean-up operations going back more than a decade.

There are no littering bylaws or fines listed on the Rotorua Lakes Council's website, with previous offenders being charged under the Litter Act.

Many other councils, such as Auckland and Wellington, have the ability to issue instant fines.

Newshub.