- Advocate fears Southland dumpsite erosion could harm marine life and coastal environment.
- Southland Council maintains the site has low erosion risk, with regular monitoring in place.
- Calls intensify for collaborative action to protect the vulnerable Colac Bay area.
A community advocate has raised alarms over the future of an old dumpsite in Southland, fearing the sea will claim it before the council takes action. The site, located at Colac Bay, about 40 minutes from Invercargill, sits beside a deteriorating coastal road closed since 2015.
Deen McKay, a long-time advocate for the site, believes severe erosion could expose the hazardous landfill within two years. “The rate of erosion needs to be prioritised and actively calculated to assess the current level of risk,” she said.
The landfill, managed historically by the now-defunct Wallace County Council, is said to contain car bodies, tyres, batteries, and toxic chemicals. Affidavits signed by residents in 2021 described the buried materials as a significant hazard.
Despite these claims, Southland District Council insists the site is not an immediate threat. In response to an information request, the council stated there is an “80-metre buffer” protecting the landfill from erosion. The response noted the dump is “potentially vulnerable to erosion in the long-term but [currently] low risk.”
Leachate from the landfill has been detected, but similar contamination levels outside the site suggest other factors may also contribute. The council regularly monitors the site, but erosion data specifically for the dumpsite’s beachfront has reportedly not been updated in years.
McKay, however, sees a broader risk: “During the summer, this place swells. You’ve got the surfers, the fishing, and the families enjoying the beach. There are also businesses relying on the seawater for exports.”
She urged local stakeholders, including the council and Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka, the landowners, to unite in finding solutions.
The council made headlines in 2021 for monitoring the coastal road’s erosion with aerial photography but did not include the dumpsite frontage. This oversight has been a point of contention for McKay, who recently addressed the council during its September meeting in Colac Bay.
Her message remains firm: “I just hope that the council aren’t going to be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff and rely on emergency central government funding.”
The Southland mayor, Rob Scott, has shown recent interest in the issue, providing McKay some hope for progress.