Butt bin campaign comes to fruition

Port Chalmers community advocate Kilda Northcott and West Harbour Community Board member Duncan...
Port Chalmers community advocate Kilda Northcott and West Harbour Community Board member Duncan Eddy celebrate the installation of butt bins around Port Chalmers. PHOTO: BRENDA HARWOOD
The appearance of cigarette butt collection bins around Port Chalmers is the culmination of a long crusade for local woman Kilda Northcott.

After collecting cigarette butts and other rubbish from the gutters around Port Chalmers over more than two years, Ms Northcott lobbied the West Harbour Community Board to advocate for butt bins and stormwater drain filters to be installed.

Board member Duncan Eddy took up the cause and was able to garner funding from Keep Dunedin Beautiful and local businesses for seven butt bins.

The butt bins are being installed by volunteer Mark Cameron, of Action Engineering, and Port Otago, at no cost to the community board.

Mr Eddy said two bins had been installed so far — at Back Beach and Boiler Point in Port Chalmers — and had been well received by the public.

Ms Northcott, who was in charge of emptying the bins, said they were being well-used by local smokers.

"I encourage people to use them whenever I can, and the community response has been good."

Mr Eddy expressed gratitude to local businesses, including Port Otago, for their support with the project.

"It has been a real community effort — we really appreciate it," he said.

It was hoped that the remainder of the butt bins would be installed in the next few weeks.

This year, the West Harbour Community Board has added its voice to that of the Peninsula Community Board, lobbying the Dunedin City Council and Otago Regional Council for stormwater filters to keep rubbish and cigarette butts out of Otago Harbour.

Clean-up day

 
Keep Dunedin Beautiful, 
Smokefree Otago, and Our 
Seas Our Future have 
teamed up to run an 
awareness-raising 
cigarette butt clean-up day 
in Dunedin. The event will 
be held this Sunday, from 
10.30am to noon at the 
Otago Museum Reserve.

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