Environment Southland reported a rise in illegal dumping, including rubbish, vehicles, and animal carcasses.
The council recovered costs for only a few incidents, putting pressure on its budget.
A potential rates increase may be needed to cover cleanup and enforcement efforts.
Illegal dumping is becoming a costly issue for Southlanders, with warnings it could lead to higher rates.
Environment Southland has highlighted the problem in a recent report, revealing a steady stream of fly-tipping, abandoned vehicles, and animal carcasses being dumped in waterways.
In the 2023/24 financial year, 57 incidents were recorded, with general rubbish making up the largest proportion.
“Fly-tipping has been a long-standing issue, and many councils are noting an increase in recent years likely due to the rising cost of disposing of rubbish at landfill sites,” council resource management manager Donna Ferguson said.
The council estimated that it was only able to recover costs for between two and four incidents a year, which added financial pressure to its compliance budget. As a result, it warned that a rates increase could be on the table to help fund the clean-up efforts.
Ferguson noted that while the report focused on illegal dumping, the council also dealt with other environmental issues, including serious pollution and smoke nuisance.
In total, 844 incidents were responded to in 2023/24, costing nearly $1.1 million. However, the council could only pass these costs on if it could identify the offenders.
Two examples were given where that had not been possible: a burnt-out car salvaged from the Mataura River and a spa pool found abandoned before reaching its dumping site.
The council handled rubbish and carcass disposal through landfills and relied on specialist salvage companies for vehicle recovery, Ferguson said.
