19 Jun 2020

Claims rubbish from Westland landfill washing up 200 kms away

From Nine To Noon, 9:42 am on 19 June 2020
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Photo: Des Watson

Beach clean-up volunteer Des Watson tells Lynn Freeman he believes rubbish that exploded from the landfill near Fox Glacier last March is washing up 200 kms north at Westport.  Des has spent the week filling up eight sackfulls of rubbish - mainly plastic and polystyrene - at Nine Mile Beach at Cape Foulwind near Westport, waste he says is typical of the type volunteers like him were picking up and around Okarito last autumn.  Meanwhile Westland District mayor Bruce Smith says he's sceptical that rubbish comes from the tip.