By Bob McNeil
A conservation group is blaming Auckland City for spreading rubbish on Great Barrier Island.
The Sustainable Coastlines group has just completed a second cleanup on the island, and they claim the garbage is coming from storm water drains in Auckland.
They say the pollution is most evident on beaches that face Auckland City.
“There’s a constant stream just coming out of the harbour from the storm drains of the city,” says Sustainable Coastlines leader Sam Judd.
“It’s flowing out in the prevailing winds, the south-westerly, and hitting somewhere as beautiful as Great Barrier Island. It’s a real shame.”
Mr Judd claims the group has now proven that every bay on Great Barrier that faces Auckland City receives a constant stream of marine debris.
The group recently took more than a thousand volunteers, including 400 children from low-decile schools to Great Barrier, for a big clean up.
They collected more than 3000kg of rubbish.
While Auckland City is taking none of the blame, Auckland Regional councillor Joely Cayford says Auckland should be taking some responsibility for the rubbish that ends up on Great Barrier.
“Rubbish is in the storm water drains because people put it there,” he says.
“People drop it, they chuck it again, and then the storm water washes it into the sea. The sea should not be treated as a dump or a landfill.”
Sustainable Coastlines know they’ve got a struggle on their hands if they are to change the littering habits of Aucklanders for good.
3 News