An east Auckland facility used by motorhome and caravan users has been so badly damaged by vandals that the people who operate it have decided to shut it down.
A local resident recently alerted the Times to the closure of Half Moon Bay Marina’s ‘dump station’, which allowed for the proper disposal of wastewater from motorhomes and caravans.
The person said it was regularly used by locals and there was disappointment and confusion in the community as to why it’s shut.
James Imlach, the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association’s (NZMCA) national manager property and policy, says the organisation was recently told of the closure.
“We were advised the marina made the decision to close the facility due to blockages and maintenance problems.
“While we fully acknowledge the marina’s concerns, the absence of a public dump station will certainly make life difficult for all motorhomers (not just NZMCA members) who either reside in or visit the Howick ward.”
He says the nearest operating dump stations for east Auckland locals now are in Maraetai and Wiri.
His association welcomes the chance to discuss a replacement facility with Auckland Council and Howick Local Board.
“In our view, it is imperative local authorities are committed to providing well-functioning public dump stations in their cities and districts.”
Half Moon Bay Marina general manager Mark Hollier says the NZMCA made contact about a decade or so ago and asked if the marina would assist setting up a dump station for the local area, which it did.
“About five or six years ago we moved it to a new location off the back of our toilet blocks and that’s been all good, but this year for some reason we’ve had an ongoing spate of people vandalising it.
“The latest one is someone’s chucked rocks down it and smashed the infrastructure under the concrete.
“This year alone we’ve spent more than $2000 trying to maintain something we’re providing as a free public service, so we’ve said ‘enough is enough’.”
The vandalised dump station needs a “whole new system” installed, which will cost thousands of dollars, he says.
“Our view is a better location for it is to be on public land by that toilet block and Auckland Council or somebody should provide it.
“People seem to think we’re a council business and we should maintain it, which is completely incorrect.
“Half Moon Bay Marina is a commercial entity and it’s just something we provided over the years in collaboration with the [NZ] Motor Caravan Association.”
Hollier says the marina wrote to the owners of motor homes in its trailer park “telling them what had happened and why we’d decided to close it”.
“What we’ve said to them [the NZMCA] is someone should go and talk to the Howick Local Board and say ‘how about we set one up down by the boat ramp in the side of the public toilets down there and let the council look after it’, rather than us as a private business paying everyone’s way.”
