Volunteers pick up rubbish where a disused Fox River landfill spilled litter on the West Coast. Photo: RNZ / Katie Todd
Extreme weather events mean 2019 could be remembered for all the wrong things on the West Coast of the South Island. Back in March heavy rain washed out a disused landfill near Fox Glacier, strewing rubbish across the riverbed and 40 kms of coastline. More than 13 thousand bags containing the likes of plastic bottles, car tyres, old shoes, burnt plastic and dog poo bags were collected from the Fox and Cook Rivers and South Westland's coastline by volunteers, defence force and DOC staff.
The region's roads have been the victim of ferocious weather too. Earlier this year DOC's Director General Lou Sanson hinted the future of a road up to Fox Glacier is in jeopardy, and just last week almost a thousand tourists were stranded at Franz Josef with the closure of State Highway 6 due to land slips.
For a recap on all this and more Westland District Mayor Bruce Smith joins Kathryn Ryan.
