A new charge on the first rates bill for the financial year is confusing some Clutha district ratepayers.
The Clutha District Council has issued a reminder to ratepayers and residents about the new kerbside recycling collection expected to start in April next year, after receiving numerous calls over the past week from ratepayers wondering about the "recycling collection" charge on their first rates bill for the new financial year.
The $20.70 "recycling collection" charge for 2011-12 will go towards the initial setup of the kerbside recycling service and the first three months of operation. The council will introduce kerbside recycling on April 1 next year.
Council district assets manager Jules Witt said the council planned to introduce a second wheelie bin as part of recycling.
"Part of the extra cost of providing this service will be offset by reducing the waste collection from a weekly to a fortnightly service. This means the waste and recycling collections will alternate, with residents still putting out one wheelie bin each week."
Glass may be excluded from the kerbside recycling collection, depending on options and costs put forward by tenderers.
Free drop-off recycling facilities would remain in place at Balclutha, Lawrence, Milton and Tapanui, and the council could also look at providing further drop-off facilities for glass.
