Future of Raetihi recycling facility left in limbo

Waimarino-Waiōuru Community Board is to revisit a decision to close Raetihi's recycling station following strong community pushback. Photo /NZME

Raetihi residents waiting to hear if their recycling facility will be saved got no answers from a Waimarino-Waiōuru Community Board meeting.

The cost of overflowing bins and contaminated recycling had led to discussions about closing the unmanned recycling station on State Highway 4 in Raetihi, about 85km north of Whanganui.

At a local board meeting on Thursday night, residents learned they would need to wait another six weeks for a decision on the station.

Ruapehu District Council Deputy Mayor Viv Hoeta, who sat in on the meeting, said strong feedback from a community meeting on Tuesday made it clear the town wanted to keep the recycling facility.

She asked at the meeting what the process would now be to deal with the matter, and what would happen to resolutions passed by the board in October last year.

“It’s important that people know there’s a clear process in place, and that people feel they’ve been heard,” Hoeta said.

At a meeting on October 31, the board resolved in a majority vote to disestablish the Raetihi recycling station and replace it with a mobile recycling trailer and an educator once a week on a Thursday for an hour, for two months, and then once a fortnight for an hour, for four months.

Community board chairman John (Luigi) Hotter told Hoeta the issue would be added to the agenda for the next meeting and the board would “revisit” the decision then.

Council chief executive Clive Manley said this would give the community board time to consider the matter.

“It is a real problem because the facility doesn’t meet the demand that is there,” Manley said.

“There has been very strong feedback that we keep [the facility] going while we look at it.

“We’ve kept the service going in the meantime.”

Manley said the resolution would not be implemented until the board has reviewed the situation.

Hoeta suggested the resolution should be rescinded but that could not happen until a new report from council officers was received and considered by the board.

Manley described the mobile trailer service as a pilot project.

Hoeta said the board and the community needed to be clear on the decision that was made.

After the resolution was read out, it was agreed that there was no mention of a pilot or trial.

Hotter said the board would review the decision and reassess its position after receiving a new report from council staff on options for managing the problem.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air