Kaitangata retiree John Castel said he had been lobbying regional authorities since 2021 in an attempt to reduce fly-tipping and other littering in the area’s remote beauty spots.
Mr Castel said the district had several less-frequented locations which he believed were easy for officials to neglect or ignore, as they were "out of sight, out of mind".
Following a health issue he began regular dog-walking four years ago, and discovered tracks near Kaitangata and on nearby Inch Clutha appeared to have been neglected for several years, and fly-tipping had become rife.
"One spot I walk regularly is the Clutha Mouth 150th Anniversary Walk, on Inch Clutha. If you’ve never heard of it that’s not surprising, because the sign was completely overgrown when I found it, and it’s not really promoted anywhere.
"I’ve cleared up truckloads of rubbish from here and other sites at both branches of the Clutha River mouth, including animal carcasses, used diapers, glass and tyres. There was a burnt-out car once.
"I just don’t understand the mind-set of spoiling such a beautiful place for everyone by dumping your s... here."
He said after an initial "run-around" Clutha District Council appeared to be listening to his appeals.
Mr Castel believed fly-tipping required a broader, "educational" approach.
"Part of it is keeping it clean and tidy, so people don’t think it’s a dump to start with. Then you need to educate people and promote proper litter disposal so they show respect for our shared natural spaces. It’s not just a local issue, it’s nationwide."
Clutha District Council deputy chief executive Jules Witt said Mr Castel had provided input for council publicity regarding fly-tipping.
The council responded reactively to dumping, either when alerted by the public, or by the council’s ranger and freedom camping officer.
"Monitoring is not specifically for littering or dumped rubbish [but] in conjunction with other regular patrol duties. The Inch Clutha parking areas were given higher focus for a period of time during 2024, and this resulted in council staff removing dumped rubbish once and contractors removing rubbish twice.
"As a general rule, rubbish dumped below the high-water mark is the responsibility of ORC, whereas anything above the high-water mark is handled by [us]. All dumped rubbish is checked for any identifying information that may lead to the offender."
Mr Witt said people could report dumping to the council, which could attract fines of up to $400.
