To kick off
Keep Hastings Beautiful month, the Hastings District Council arranged skip bins with art works as an ugly reminder not to drop litter by showing how huge the problem is for the district.
The Council's environmental enhancement officer, Jacqui Barnes, said disposing of litter cost Hastings ratepayers $547,768 each year.
That figure includes the 360 hours of staff time a week, vehicles, transfer station fees and rubbish bag costs but doesn't include the $365,000 it costs for street cleaners.
``It's a cost which could easily be reduced or even avoided if people put their rubbish in public bins or took it home,' Ms Barnes said.
Each month Hastings, Havelock North and Flaxmere produce 100 cubic metres of rubbish, enough to fill the 50m pool at the Frimley Aquatic Centre.
But because council staff were getting out and picking up the litter early most people would not realise the extent of the problem.
Hastings, on a normal day, creates six to seven black rubbish bags of litter and during peak times around 12 bags a day.
All this reminded me of our Host Jim Watkins' involvement in the
Ballina Tidy Towns Committee
