Readers see red over new rubbish rules

Our bins are so full that I may have no option but to join the people I hear on talkback radio who are delivering their rubbish to council offices. I notice someone has emptied their rubbish into a jungle area of my garden. I may have to bag this up and deliver this to the council, too.

Lorraine Fairest.

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Newmarket Primary School, being one rateable property is allowed one bin only. The office building next door is allowed a bin for each separate office as each is counted as a rateable property. As there were too many, they tried to donate some to the school. The council refused to allow this and have collected the unwanted bins.

The school will have to hire a skip for its rubbish. This could mean a cut to the budget and or an increase in school fees.

J.F. Walsh.
Newmarket.

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Many members of the Blockhouse Bay Business Association work from premises owned by one landlord. Therefore, we have one smaller bin to share between us.

It is senseless of the council to say only one bin a ratepayer; it should be one bin a shopkeeper.

Many of us still have old green bins not taken on our usual collection day on Tuesday even though the smaller bins state for use after July 2, so there is rubbish everywhere.

Graham Edwards,
Chairman.

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If all you can come up with is a few specific examples out of the thousands of people affected then the council has done a fantastic job. For the past three years the two flats where I live have easily shared a 120-litre bin. If people produce rubbish they should pay to have it removed.

Matt Newby.

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Businesses and ratepayers on Waiheke are being discriminated against because the red bags given out are far smaller than the 120-litre wheelie bins. Given the $8000 a year rates paid to the Auckland City Council, one bag between as many as six businesses is absurd.

Debbie.
Waiheke Island.

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We're expecting our second baby this month, which means roughly 50 disposable nappies to dispose of each week. Heaven only knows if there will be room for anything else at all in that ridiculous little rubbish receptacle. A rates refund to be put towards a private rubbish service seems the only acceptable solution.

Louise Richardson.

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Our collection day is Monday. It is now Wednesday and no rubbish or recycling has been collected. I have tried to phone the council, but its lines were engaged all morning. Got through midday, cut off, then had to deal with some one who knew less than me.

Our rubbish day has changed. Obviously no one on our street was informed. Our bins were collected on Monday, June 25, and will not be collected again until tomorrow. We could have put out bags on Tuesday, but only people who rang the council knew about that.

Andrea.
Mt Roskill.

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My new bin was put out on Monday but was not collected. It was half filled. Getting home after work, I found some nice person had filled the rest of my bin with three large plastic bags of rubbish.

On telephoning the council and after a long wait, I finally got to talk to a man who was helpful. He said the council would arrange to have it collected on Tuesday. Tuesday came and went, but no collection of the bin. On telephoning the council I was told that apparently the contractor said he had collected the bin, which is now overflowing. However, the council is going to get back to me and no doubt it will be emptied soon. In the meantime will I have to dig a hole?

Sandra McKay.
Onehunga.

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My family (two adults, two boys two cats and a dog) have used the 120-litre bin for five years with no problem. We have always recycled our bottles and cans and a garden bag that takes care of the rest.

The council should be supported in this new plan, instead of wanting it to go on sticking its head in the sand. As is normal when an issue arises that the public don't want to be inconvenienced by.

Chris Money.

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I am in a new terraced house development in Ellerslie. The new smaller bins were delivered last week, but only to about two-thirds of the complex.

The rest of us simply put our regular bins out as normal, only for them not to be collected. I will leave the bin out until it is collected (plus all rubbish I place around it until I get a new bin). I don't care how much of a mess it looks.

Jason.

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Perhaps we could solve Auckland's traffic problem using the same magic the council believe will reduce Auckland's waste problem. It's simple - every household is only allowed storage space for one car. The council's incantation seems to be that "if there's nowhere to put it, it disappears."

M.K. Findlay.