The dumping of decomposing animal carcasses on Otago Peninsula has prompted a warning from the Dunedin City Council.
Council roading maintenance engineer Peter Standring said yesterday council staff and contractors would make a big effort to identify those responsible for dumping rubbish illegally.
That included fossicking through the rubbish looking for items that could identify the offenders, and either issuing fines under council bylaws or prosecuting under the Litter Act 1979, which had more "teeth".
Since June last year, the council had issued 80 infringement notices for illegal dumping, figures obtained yesterday showed.
"We don't take it lightly. If we can identify them, we can fine them.
"If we catch a person, they would be copped with the clean-up cost as well," Mr Standring said.
His comments come after the discovery of four animal carcasses - believed to be three calves and a deer - and other rubbish dumped down a grass bank beside Centre Rd, off Highcliff Rd, on Otago Peninsula.
The find, reported by the Otago Daily Times yesterday, was made by walkers on Saturday morning.
Council contractors were alerted and recovered the mess shortly after noon, but walker Jane Cox and landowner David Lyttle worried it was becoming a problem on the peninsula.
Yesterday, Mr Standring agreed illegal dumping was a regular occurrence, particularly during the hunting season, although he did not believe the number of incidents was increasing.
"We do get hunters dropping things off ...
"There's always cases that happen, but I wouldn't say they are that regular."
People rustling sheep and other stock were also a problem, the most recent example being the discovery of the bodies of eight skinned sheep dumped behind a roadside barrier on Three Mile Hill Rd last week.
A rise in council landfill fees was probably partially to blame, as was a "culture" of dumping illegally.
"With the fees going up, it does promote more of that, but generally there's a culture out there of people just dumping rubbish, Mr Standring said.
"We just need to change that culture."
Those responsible could face a $100 fine under council bylaws, but stiffer fines - potentially of thousands of dollars - were available for those prosecuted under the Litter Act.
The public needed to act as the council's "eyes and ears", but staff would also search through dumped refuse looking for clues, he said.
"It's one of the worst parts of our job ... [but] we do go through it.
"It's rewarding when you catch someone."
