"Dob in a dumper" was Waitaki district councillor Rod Bidois' call to Waitaki people yesterday.
The council is taking a hard line on people who dump rubbish on roads and other areas around the district.
Recently in the Omarama area, three fines were issued over about a month for illegally dumping rubbish in borrow pits alongside state highways.
One of those fined was a Twizel resident living outside the district.
The pits were excavated decades ago for roading metal.
Assets manager Neil Jorgensen told yesterday's corporate services committee meeting the community needed "to take ownership" of the problem, reporting to the council people they saw dumping rubbish illegally, if possible giving the date, time, vehicle registration numbers and other details.
The council has set aside $32,671 in this year's budget to develop an education programme and enforcement of dumping and littering bylaws.
Regulatory manager Paul Arnold said the council could issue infringement notices or prosecute offenders through the courts, depending on the type of rubbish illegally dumped.
Infringement notices have two levels of fines - $200 for non-dangerous rubbish and $400 for dangerous rubbish.
In some cases, such as the dumping of chemicals, the council could prosecute the offender.
