Kerbside recycling likely

The Rotorua District Council has resolved to press ahead with a number of changes to urban waste services, including a switch from paper bags to wheelie bins for refuse collection.

Rotorua district councillors have voted to introduce kerbside recycling in urban areas as part of a major shake-up of the city's waste services.

The council has resolved to press ahead with a number of changes to urban waste services, including a switch from paper bags to wheelie bins for refuse collection. However, nothing will be final until the long-term plan is formally adopted by the council on June 30.

In the meantime, the district's rural and lakeside communities - a source of strong protest against proposed changes - have been promised further consultation before a decision is reached on the future of their waste collection.

The new urban services would see about 20,000 households move from paper refuse bags to three separate containers for kerbside collection: a wheelie bin for refuse, another for recycling, and a 60-litre crate for glass.

Residents would still be able to drop-off larger items at the inner-city recycling centre.

"One size or another, it's the way to go," Rotorua deputy mayor Dave Donaldson said of the changes.

If confirmed, the council hopes to roll out the new collection services by July 2016.

Urban ratepayers may have to wait until September, when the revised waste strategy goes back to the council, to find out how much their wheelie bin future might actually cost.

While ratepayers now pay $226 in rates for weekly collections of paper refuse bags, the council would prefer fortnightly wheelie bin collections of refuse and recycling, at an estimated annual cost of $242 per household.

However, public submissions tended to favour weekly refuse collection, at an increased estimate cost of $259.

Both estimates for the new services are also dependant on the council finding a partner to operate the city's Atiamuri landfill.

"I think what has been adopted is a funding envelope to progress with the optimal refuse and recycling collection system to please the majority of people," Mr Donaldson said. He could not confirm whether the initial cost of new wheelie bins would be covered under the estimated rates charges.

Geoff Palmer, chairman of the Lake Okareka Community Association, said factors such as uneven topography and the prevalence of holiday homes worried lakeside communities about introducing wheelie bin collection.

"We support what [the council] are doing in the urban areas, but there are some factors here that mean other options may be better than simply wheelie bins," he said.

Do you like the plan to change to wheelie bins?

It's a fantastic idea. You can fit twice as much into the wheelie bins, and they don't get soggy like paper bags. ... and I think it would be less costly.

TE RANGIKAHEKE KIRIPATEA

The council deliver a stack of bags for free, so as long as the wheelie bins are free, then all good.

JOE STICKINGS

I do like this idea. The wheelie bins are a much cleaner and tidier form of rubbish disposal.

LOUISE KIRK

I do like this in that the rubbish bags get ripped to shreds sometimes, but I don't feel that fortnightly is regular enough. A lot of people would have to empty them in between.

TERESA BOWDITCH

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