Brian Hall has voluntarily run a waste station for recreational vehicles since 2009, but closed the facility on January 31. He says the council needs to build its own. Photo / Zita Campbell
Mobile homes have one less designated public place to dump liquid waste in Gisborne after a volunteer-run facility closed late last month.
The public waste station on Awapuni Rd has been run by a volunteer since 2009, but they say it’s time for the council to “build its own”.
Waste stations allow recreational vehicles, such as caravans and house buses, to dispose of household waste safely, including soapy water and toilet waste (known as greywater and blackwater).
New Zealand Motorhome and Caravan Association (NZMCA) says the council had “every opportunity in the last few years to get this sorted”.
The council says it had engaged with NZMCA and others over time about a waste station, and recognised the importance of safe wastewater disposal for motorhomes.
However, “any decision to invest in new facilities must be weighed against other priorities and funding pressures”.
NZMCA national manager, property and policy, James Imlach, told Local Democracy Reporting there had been an agreement with the council that the council would own a waste station.
NZMCA spent more than $20,000 on a resource consent for a site proposed on Stanley Rd/Innes St.
Conversations for the station started in 2015-16, but the council just kept “deferring it, delaying it, ignoring it and pushing it aside”, Imlach said.
The discussions followed Gisborne being granted “Motorhome Friendly Town” status.
NZMCA understood it would pay 50% of the $150,000 estimate for the waste dump facility, and the council would apply for the Government’s Tourism Infrastructure Fund for the remaining balance.
However, after cyclones Hale and Gabrielle in 2023, the council’s priorities shifted, and they did not uphold their end of the deal, Imlach said.
There was no formal contract in place for the construction of the public dump station, but this was “not unusual”.
NZMCA had put in “hundreds” of waste stations across the country and helped councils with funding, Imlach said.
“Not only is this facility necessary, but we’ve also paid quite a lot of money towards it in good faith, thinking that they were gonna uphold their end of the deal.”
The council said it was unable to progress construction after the cyclones, due to significant fiscal constraints, competing recovery priorities and limited capacity to take on additional capital projects.
Volunteer Brian Hall has run the Awapuni Rd dump station from the driveway of his family-run plumbing and gas fitting business since 2009.
On a busy day, as many as 10 to 15 caravans lined up to use the facility, which affected businesses that rented out buildings from Hall on the shared driveway, Hall said.
“I did not ever think that I would have this situation when I built it.”
As the facility’s water hose had a water meter on it, Hall had been footing the bill for more than a decade and had sought the council’s help with the bill.
The site closed on January 31, and Hall believed the council needed to build its own one.
Hall said that when removing the waste station’s water meter on Monday, he discovered he had supplied 1.42 million litres of water to recreational vehicle users.
Council director liveable communities Michele Frey said dump stations were provided across New Zealand through a mix of councils, private operators, campgrounds and service stations, “often on a user‑pays basis”.
“Our view is that this shared model is appropriate, particularly where facilities primarily serve visitors rather than residents.”
The council acknowledged that options were limited, particularly during peak visitor periods and in remote areas.
Across the region, a small number of facilities were available, including a public dump station at the Mobil service station in Kaiti, and facilities at some campgrounds and holiday parks.
These were “generally on a user‑pays basis or for guests only".
In 2023, the council advised NZMCA that it was unable to progress construction of a dump station following cyclones Hale and Gabrielle.
“That position has not materially changed.”
The council had not ruled out incorporating a dump station into future infrastructure projects and remained open to discussions with external parties, including NZMCA or private operators.
But it was subject to funding, consenting and prioritisation through long-term planning processes, Frey said.
The water connection at Hall’s site was a metered supply servicing multiple tenancies.
Under council bylaws, the cost of water used remained the responsibility of the property owner, she said.
“We thank Brian Hall for the service he has provided over many years and acknowledge the contribution the Awapuni Road facility has made to safe wastewater disposal in the region.”
She said the council recognised that limited access to suitable disposal facilities can place pressure on existing sites and may increase the risk of illegal dumping in some areas.
“We will continue to monitor this and respond where issues are identified.”
NZMCA believed the council had a statutory duty to provide mobile homes with a means of disposing of waste to protect the environment.
“It’s just like having a public toilet, but for vehicles that obviously carry their waste,” Imlach said.
Minister of Local Government Simon Watts said that each council needed to determine the best way to meet its obligations to manage waste in its district.
He expected councils to “balance community and visitor needs, public health, and prudent use of ratepayer money”.
Frey said there was no statutory requirement.
The council’s role was to ensure public health and environmental standards were met, while balancing investment across core services and infrastructure, she said.