You can take a dump in Rakaia again if you are passing through in a motorhome or caravan. Sort of.
The town’s new waste dump station is operating after the former dump station closed when the Rakaia Salmon site was upgraded in 2020.
Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown said the former site “was not very user friendly” and the council had worked with the community to select the new site with a better design.
Brown said the new site on Railway Terrace is ideally located for tourists and motorhome drivers being just off State Highway 1 and is easily accessible.
Local motor home owner Murray Lister said it was an ideal situation as there is no congestion of traffic making it an easily accessible site “with plenty of room to turn around”.
The council invested $160,000 in the project while the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association provided the pre-cast underground concrete unit and signage.
The waste station is accessible 24/7 and the dumped wastewater goes into the town’s reticulated wastewater system, and the site also provides access to potable water.
Ashburton’s Lyn Peterson is the chair of the South Canterbury branch, which encompasses the Ashburton District, of the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association, which has around 120,000 members.
She said the new Rakaia site will be well utilised and will be promoted by the association as part of its waste station network around the country.

• Jonathan Leask