Far North District Council will pay locals up to $200 to dob in illegal rubbish dumpers.
The council says it spends up to $80,000 a year collecting 48 tonnes of household waste from roadsides, particularly by rural roads.
It says the trash harbours rats, pollutes waterways and can be dangerous to recover from steep gullies.
The council acknowledges that some residents have no kerbside rubbish collection but argues the small fee to dump waste at a tip or recycling centre is less than what some people would be spending on petrol to take their waste to isolated areas.
It also wants to know which areas produce the most dumping to see whether better services can be arranged.
