No increases in landfill charges

Wayne Bradshaw

For the fourth year running, there will be no increase in gate rate charges at the Omarunui landfill.

Hastings district councillor Wayne Bradshaw made this announcement in his capacity as the chairman of the Omarunui joint landfill committee. Mr Bradshaw said the decision was made last week and announced to their customers at the regular landfill users meeting held after committee.

"Over the past six to seven years, the joint committee and management, made up of both Napier and Hastings councillors and administered by HDC, have worked extremely hard at running the landfill as a business and having a long term plan and strategy," he said.

Mr Bradshaw said the last time the gate charges increased was on July 1, 2013, to $69 plus waste levy of $10 and the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) of $4 making a total of $83 plus GST per tonne.

"The committee was pleased to advise their customers that the gate charges would stay the same until June 30, 2017, so, for four years there has been no increase," said the chairman.

Deputy chairwoman Napier city councillor Michelle Pyke said they were absolutely thrilled to be able to offer this to users of the landfill. She said the committee couldn't have accomplished this without the staff.

"Through very careful management and being mindful also about the joint waste futures work that we are currently undertaking," she said. "But the result is that we don't have to put it [the gate rate] up again which is really good."

She said the only reasons for any increase in price from now until July 17, 2017 would come from the Government through areas such ETS which are out of the committee's control. "But four years in a row they are happy."

Mr Bradshaw said the Omarunui gate rates is one of the lowest landfill charges in the country when compared to other council operated landfills.

"The Omarunui gate rates are well over $30 per tonne lower than the average of eight other NZ council controlled landfills," he said. "Based on an annual 70,000 tonnes of waste taken to Omarunui each year, this saves the Hawke's Bay millions of dollars each year and directly impacts our communities and economy.

"The strategic and long-term planning developed has allowed the Omarunui landfill not only to work more effectively, but has produced good surpluses over budget to assist the councils keep their rates lower."