Letters to the editor: Rubbish and recycling scheme totally unfair

A variety of Tauranga City Council rubbish bins and recycling bins. Photo / File

The forthcoming one-size-fits-all rubbish and recycling collection scheme is totally unfair.

I have already experienced this unfairness with the glass collection which has now been operating for two years.

All ratepayers pay $37 per annum for this. Since it started, I have to have the glass bin emptied once. Yes, that one emptying has cost me $74. And I had no choice in the matter. If that's not unfair then what is?

This unfairness will be multiplied by the new system. The needs of a single-person household, and that of a couple, will obviously be far less than those of a family with children.

And those with compost bins will have little or no need for the food waste bin. But we all pay the same - $230 per year plus $60 if we take the green waste option. But no other options are available.

I agree this city needs to do more about recycling and sustainable waste collection, but surely if other councils can operate a pay-as-you-waste system, then it must be possible here.

It would certainly be more fair.

Don Campbell
Gate Pa

Have a vote on it

After reading many letters to the editor regarding Tauranga City Council's proposed rubbish collection system, I would like to make a suggestion that could perhaps prove a point to both the council and ratepayers.

While the council is maintaining people against the new system are in the minority it appears many ratepayers are actually now objecting.

Here is what I suggest that may settle the matter. As there is going to be a by-election around February 2021 to elect a replacement councillor for the one resigning at a nominal cost of $100,000, why not, at no extra cost to the ratepayer, add to the voting pamphlet a ''Yes'' or ''No'' to a question of ''Do you wish to have a new rubbish system of pay as you throw ?' (The same system as adopted by the Western Bay of Plenty Council).

Surely this would be better than being forced (like the blue glass bins) to accept a rubbish collection system that in many cases would not be wanted or in fact not even used.

Bear in mind the new rubbish collection system is not scheduled until July 2021.

This allows plenty of time to make a possible change.

James Newman
Mount Maunganui

Twenty-five per cent is nothing compared to real rent

Re Zizi Sparks' editorial saying that charging people in emergency housing 25 per cent of their income is wrong (Opinion, October 24).

How does she think they are going to cope in the real world when they actually have to pay rent and other expenses out of their income?

They may be living free now but they won't be living free permanently - or maybe they think they can.

Twenty-five per cent is nothing compared to real rent.

Now's the time to show them that there will be more expenses coming out of their income than rent and it would be a good time to teach them some budgeting skills.

Viv Radley
Rotorua

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