Deen McKay lives on a farm just outside of Colac Bay / Ōraka with her husband Alan. She has been a strong advocate for protecting the local dump from the elements. Photo: LDR / Matthew Rosenberg
A community advocate fears an old dumpsite next to a crumbling coastal road in Southland will be eaten away by the sea while she waits for council action.
The area in question at Colac Bay/Ōraka - about 40 minutes from Invercargill - has been a point of contention for locals who claim it contains hazardous waste.
But the council charged with monitoring the area says there is no imminent threat, despite it being potentially vulnerable to erosion.
It also admitted it was "unsure" if the area in front of the dump has been measured for erosion in recent years.
Deen McKay has spearheaded efforts to protect the dump from the ocean and believes the site has about two years before a major weather event washes it away.
"The rate of erosion needs to be prioritised and actively calculated to assess the current level of risk."
McKay said it was important to secure the site in order to save the marine environment.
"During the summer, this place swells. You've got the surfers, you've got the fishing, you've got the families just wanting to enjoy the beach.
"We've got two companies that use the seawater, they use the ramp over there for their live lobster export."
Colac Bay / Ōraka is a small coastal township about 40 minutes from Invercargill known for its surfing. Photo: LDR / Matthew Rosenberg
The landfill in question was managed by the now-defunct Wallace County Council and is situated behind a crumbling coastal road which has been closed to traffic since 2015.
Affidavits signed by past and present residents in 2021 claimed the site was home to a range of hazards including buried car bodies, batteries, plastics, oil, tyres, herbicides and paint.
But Southland District Council still believes time is on its side, as evidenced by a response to a recent LGOIMA request.
"We still have approximately a 80 metre buffer until the physical landfill site is at risk of erosion so not one of our most critical sites to erosion but [it] is included in routine monitoring of the site to keep an eye on," it said.
The unattributed response said the dump was potentially vulnerable to erosion in the long-term but was currently low risk.
While some leachate had been recorded in the area, similar readings had also been taken outside of the landfill indicating waste was not the sole contributor.
McKay has fought the council on the matter for 10 years and has been buoyed by recent interest from Southland mayor Rob Scott.
On 18 September, the council held its meeting at the Colac Bay Community Centre and McKay was in attendance as a speaker on the day.
Her message now is for key stakeholders to join forces and find a solution.
"I just hope that the council aren't going to be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff and rely on emergency central government funding."
The historic landfill sits on land now owned by Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka, which was contacted for comment.
In 2021, the council made headlines for monitoring erosion on the crumbling coastal road with aerial photography but failing to include the area in front of the dumpsite.
-LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air