A scheme proposed by the Ministry for the Environment could enable people to get back 20c on every beverage container returned.
However, administration fees could prevent the programme from being cost-neutral, prompting Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins to suggest at a meeting last week that the Government should cover administration costs.
The suggestion was part of a wide-ranging discussion about transforming and standardising recycling services.
Cr Lee Vandervis did not agree, arguing getting the Government to cover the cost of running the scheme was a surefire way to make it more expensive and to spread the cost on to people who did not consume the products concerned.
He and Cr Jules Radich voted against the mayor’s amendment to the council’s submission, but it passed.
Councillors supported having a more consistent system for kerbside recycling across New Zealand.
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Comments
Just typical greens stupidity - governments are an endless font of money which just comes from the ether.
The users, i.e all the fools buying bottled water, should be funding a container return scheme. Not ratepayers, not taxpayers. A 30 cent cost on every container and 15 to 20 cent refund if you return the container.
And who is in the best place to administer that particular idea nationwide???
The Government. Go figure.
You miss the point, government can make the rules, but users should pay for the scheme.
Simply believing government has a bottomless bucket of money to pay all of greens ideas is as much rubbish as the plastic waste.