This week the Waitaki District Council formally tabled a Solid Waste Services Business case but how it will proceed is moot.
The Morrison Low consultant-written report presents three options.—
- The status quo cost to council of $900,000 a year, using the existing private arrangement.
- An option costing $3.3m-$3.9m a year not including an organic collection.
- A third option of between $3.4m and $4.1m a year with an organic collection.
It was formulated and directed based on the previous Labour government directives.
Council director of natural and build environment Roger Cook said the previous plan was to mandate kerbside collections by 2027.
It had now been canned.
The $50,000 business case was 50% paid for by the Ministry for the Environment, and from the waste levy already paid by the council.
Cr Guy Percival suggested the case replicated previous investigatory and consultation work by the council.
"To me this is groundhog day. A few years ago we did the same exercise," he said.
"If I remember, that was soundly rejected by the community. I would like to know where that report is, and the consultation made then."
Mr Cook said the overall environmental targets remained but since the case funding was released "the landscape has changed significantly".
"The new government has indicated it won’t be mandated."
Cr John McCone said he sympathised with the work put in "but the political direction had changed significantly".
It was a question now of "does it get parked up" or did council lumber itself with more work for it, he said.
Cr McCone asked if there were "any consequence" in not receiving the report.
Mr Cook said it might be "a $25,000 decision" as the MFE could ask the council pay back its share of the case, "whereas if we do take it forward, maybe no consequence immediately".
Waitaki is one of five local authorities not offering not kerbside rubbish collection.
