Gore District residents may not welcome the return of a full scale kerbside recycling service next year once they learn the cost, the council’s chief executive says.
Council staff will investigate the costs of potential recycling options for the district, following a decision by councillors at a full council meeting on Tuesday.
General manager critical services Jason Domigan said those options would be presented to councillors and then the community in early 2023, with a full scale kerbside recycling service planned to be up and running from July 1 — if there was support for it.
The council’s most recent annual residents survey found the majority of people were dissatisfied with the council’s kerbside recycling service, which was reduced to just glass in 2020.
In his report tabled at the meeting, Mr Domigan said a lot had changed since then.
"Better opportunities for the recycling of aluminium, steel and plastics currently exist. New opportunities for the possibility of glass to be crushed and used as a material to support infrastructure upgrades are being developed."
There was a willingness from Invercargill City Council and Recycle South to work with Gore District Council as they had before negotiations broke down two years ago, he said.
"Recycle South has the capacity to accept the additional recycling volume with the [Gore District] council being able to access this by way of a subcontract to Invercargill City Council. This is what is currently in place with Southland District Council."
Bond Contracts was also willing to provide cost options and support the reintroduction of mixed recycling as part of its kerbside collection service.
Cr Bret Highsted said he acknowledged there was a willingness to reinstate a full kerbside recycling service but it was important that such a decision went through the annual plan process.
Chief executive Stephen Parry agreed and said it would be a "significant departure’’ from the council’s long term plan and would require community consultation.
"If there’s a steep increase in cost from what was the price in 2020, the community may not be so enthusiastic to embrace a full-blown kerbside recycling system."
Councillors also supported employing a waste minimisation officer, whose role would be to drive waste reduction in the community.
