10 Dec 2019

Will Fox River be impacted by the latest West Coast flooding?

From Afternoons, 1:42 pm on 10 December 2019

Back in March, flooding in the West Coast broke open an old landfill next to the Fox River near Fox Glacier - spilling decades worth of rubbish into the river and across the coastline.

Over the weekend, the area was subjected to more bad weather that saw townships on the West Coast, including Franz Josef and Fox Glacier, cut off after washouts - raising concerns that the dump may give way and release rubbish back in to the river.

Westland District Mayor Bruce Smith talks to Jesse Mulligan about the measures taken to try and ensure the incident doesn't happen again.

Volunteers pick up rubbish where a disused Fox River landfill spilled litter on the West Coast.

Volunteer picking up rubbish after a disused Fox River landfill spilled rubbish on the West Coast earlier this year. Photo: RNZ / Katie Todd