A dip in the returns from recycled cardboard, paper and metal has left Central Otago WasteBusters out of pocket by about $59,000.
Yesterday its plea for assistance was heeded by the Central Otago District Council, which resolved to give it $79,000 so it could continue to operate and provide a recycling collection service.
WasteBusters had received $59,103 less than expected from recycled materials from the start of the financial year until the end of March.
It made more money than budgeted in its shop but had additional costs that increased its shortfall to $79,000.
The costs included $9825 for extra staff to cope with the expected increase in demand for its services after the council's rubbish collection changed to fortnightly on July 1, $4145 for staff training and $5619 in health and safety costs.
Council infrastructure services manager Jon Kingsford said WasteBusters was a community organisation that provided local employment and offered employment opportunities to individuals who might otherwise have difficulty entering or re-entering the workforce.
It delivered intangible benefits to the community and was a key player in the educational role the council had on environmental sustainability, he said.
Cr Clair Higginson said the market for recycled items was volatile, making budgeting difficult. Mr Kingsford said WasteBusters sometimes ''banked'' recycled materials and waited until the price rose.
Cr Neil Gillespie said the organisation was run on a shoestring ''and you can't keep doing that - welcome to the real world''.
As WasteBusters was facing a difficult time and it was hard to predict how much the demand for the organisation's services would increase when the rubbish collection became fortnightly, Cr Stephen Jeffery said the council should fund the shortfall and reassess the matter again in a year.
The council followed his suggestion.
