Masterton residents have been slow to warm to Masterton District Council's new blue and dearer rubbish bags, a report shows.
Council finance manager David Paris reported to councillors this week that the change in colour and price increase of the bags resulted in bag sales being "well down" on plan in
August, when the changes came into effect.
The 10 percent hike pushed the price of the bags up to $2.70 each at the council offices, while supermarket prices varied.
Masterton Pak N Save had already begun storing the bags behind the counter as a precaution against shoplifting.
"The price increase was signalled in July and sales that month were higher than normal, while August and September sales have been well below expectations," Mr Paris said.
Sales had however returned to the expected level last month.
The council's report on the July to September quarter showed other big variances across the council's waste services department.
"Urban sewerage reticulation costs have been more than planned, mainly due to more maintenance work than planned, notably repairs in French Street, Devon Street and the main through Mawley Park."
Sewerage treatment costs had however run at less than planned.
"Waste tonnages have been 10 percent below planned average monthly levels, with variable costs below planned as a result, however gate revenue at the transfer station has fallen 16 percent short of the planned level.
"This is partly a result of the large commercial operator's volumes being a greater share of the tonnage than expected."
The council's overall position of the year to date for rates requirement was a deficit of rates income versus rates required of some $343,000 - some $40,000 more than the planned deficit position after three months.
"The planned deficit is a result of some full year costs, such as rates and insurances, coming to charges in the first quarter."
Other variances in the budget were in resource consent fee income and development contributions - both below planned levels - and building control income was running at some 30 percent less than planned because of much lower numbers of consents being submitted, resulting in an income shortfall of $61,000 for the year to date.
