Light Carbon Footprint to consult on waste

The Queenstown Lakes District Council is launching its first ‘on-line’ survey to hear from the community about waste, Mayor Vanessa van Uden said.

A member of the Council’s Waste Management Strategy review working party, Mayor van Uden said it was entirely appropriate that the waste survey carried a low carbon footprint.

“No stamps, no paper, no waste and less cost. Every household, every business and every organisation makes waste, be it rubbish, compost or recycling, so everyone should have an opinion about this and we want to hear it,” she said.

Nine years ago the government told this community it should have a goal of working towards zero waste. In the Queenstown Lakes District the Council talked to its communities and the result was the 2003 Waste Management Strategy.

“That strategy has led to some really great services like kerbside recycling in the Queenstown Lakes District but seven years on it time we had that conversation again, especially because there is a cost to waste services,” she said.

The government reviewed its strategy last month and has backed away from its stance on zero waste, shifting the weighting to ‘reducing the impact waste has on the environment’ instead.

The 2003 strategy had seen some great services introduced in the last seven years including:

• Kerbside recycling and processing in Wanaka and Wakatipu
• Building of seven rural refuse and recycling drop-off points.
• Green waste drop-off and mulching services across the district
• New recycling litter bins in Arrowtown, Queenstown and Wanaka
• Crushing glass to be used in the district’s road base.
• District-wide waste education service.
• Hazardous waste amnesty
• Landfill levy to fund waste minimisation initiatives
• Event recycling guides included as part of consent applications
• Home composting subsidies
• More rubbish options (30 litre and 60 litre bags, 120 litre and 240 litre wheelie bins).

“There is a lot to think about here including affordability, sustainability, value for money and changing markets,” Mayor van Uden said.

The Council’s plan (10-Year-Plan 2009) at the moment says recycling and rubbish will carry on as it is, but in 2013 the Council will introduce a new kerbside organic (food and green waste) collection service.

This means a composting facility will need to be built and the cost for ratepayers is estimated to be similar to the cost of recycling, about $2.30 per week.

“But maybe the view is that people would rather compost at home. We need to hear from the community before we take this any further,” Mayor van Uden said.

To have your say on waste go to the Council website www.qldc.govt.nz or click on Waste 2010