A pile of rubbish bags, clothing, glass and household effects - including a lamp - was found in the bush below Church St, in Port Chalmers, earlier this week.
It was reported to the council on Tuesday and contractors were expected to be dispatched to clean it up, solid waste manager Cath Irvine said yesterday.
She described the behaviour as ''really appalling''. West Harbour Community Board chairman Steve Walker went further.
''It's a shame that such a peaceful and beautiful part of Port Chalmers can be ruined by some mindless idiot.
''It's also an insult to the vast majority of us who dispose of rubbish in the correct and proper way,'' Mr Walker said.
It was the second time recently the West Harbour had been in the headlines for improperly discarded materials. White paint was poured into a stream in nearby Sawyers Bay last week.
Ms Irvine said there was usually a spike in illegal dumping of green waste over summer, as people cleared sections, but problems with household waste were ''fairly consistent'' year-round.
The council's landfill fees were ''about average'' for those nationally and not to blame, and people needed to ''take responsibility for the disposal of their own waste'', she said.
''I just don't think it [illegal dumping] is good behaviour, and most people feel that way. There's only a few within our society who think it's OK to do that.
''Our landfill fees aren't exorbitant by any means. I think just putting a little bit of thought into what to do with materials - people could save themselves a lot of money if they recycled properly, or if they sold things, or even donated them.
''We see a lot of stuff that could have been recovered going to landfill needlessly. That's what's costing people.''
Under the Litter Act, the council had the power to issue fines of up to $400 for illegal dumping.
However, the Otago Daily Times reported in July last year the council had not issued any fines, despite receiving more than 130 calls about illegal dumping in the previous year.
That had continued in the months since and no infringement notices had been issued, Ms Irvine confirmed.
Instead, if culprits were identified from material in the rubbish, they would receive a warning letter first, followed by a knock on the door if the first approach failed, she said yesterday.
''We are still gathering evidence and we are following up with people where we've got names and addresses, and we're actually finding that approach is working,'' she said.
The council was also recruiting extra staff whose responsibilities would include a focus on illegal rubbish dumping, and work was under way on a new system to record illegal dumping across the city, she said.
''If you know what the problem is, and you can get a good handle on it, then you can much better work out strategies on how to deal with it.
''It will help us track down the offenders more easily,'' she said.
In the meantime, anyone who found illegally dumped rubbish should call the council to ensure it was collected ''as quickly as possible'', she said.
