Feedback sought on Central Otago Waste Minimisation and Management Plan

The new proposed Central Otago Waste Minimisation and Management Plan, (WMMP) is now out for community feedback.

The new Plan lays out the next steps ‘Towards Zero Waste and a Sustainable Central Otago.’ Council is seeking feedback on this in the proposed plan through to November 18th.
Because of new legislative requirements under the 2008 Waste Act, Council is required to document its objectives, strategies and actions to achieve effective and efficient waste minimisation and management. Careful consideration was given to recent waste and recycling trends in Central Otago, and the community’s desire to use resources more wisely.

“The community has continued to express the importance of waste reduction and wise resource use. The objectives and actions in this plan support the communities desire to minimise waste”, says CODC Waste Minimisation Officer, Sophie Mander. The Plan highlights how households can reduce waste and take responsibility for how resources are bought, used and consumed. Each household can significantly reduce the amount of material sent to landfill by seeking out opportunities to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover (or compost) resources they bring into the home. “If wiser choices were made upfront it would be possible to significantly reduce the amount of material collected from the kerbside”, says Sophie Mander.

Chair of the Infrastructure Committee, Steve Battrick said, “The actions in the proposed plan are designed to help us appreciate the value of resources. They make waste disposal less convenient, and encourage personal responsibility for the use of resources. This Council is taking a long term approach, but recognises that it may not be easy for everyone to change their habits overnight. The Council is committed to providing learning opportunities and tools to help us all learn to live more sustainably”.

Key actions outlined in the WMMP include:
· Residual rubbish collection (wheelie bins) changed from a weekly to a fortnightly collection.
· Households in the Council collection area to be offered the choice of retaining the existing 240 L residual rubbish wheelie bin, having a smaller bin or opting out of the collection service altogether. Each option will be priced so that households that produce less waste are charged less for the service.
· A review of the Council wheelie bin collection area to consider incorporating growth in townships and those areas of high demand not currently included
· Continued support and subsidies for home composting to use green waste and kitchen waste more sustainably on individuals own properties.
· Support for an increase in glass recycling facilities and services at the rural drop-off centres and a commercial glass collection service.
· Implementation of a periodic Hazmobile service to safely collect and dispose of hazardous materials as a short term solution prior to both an effective regional approach and/or product stewardship schemes.

The Waste Minimisation and Management Plan is important and contains actions that will impact on everyone in the community. The Council welcomes comments, suggestions and feedback to ensure that the plan provides a good roadmap for the District to step away from expensive and unsustainable centralised systems for managing waste, to new, more sustainable and efficient practices of waste miminisation.

The proposed Waste Minimisation and Management Plan, Summary of Information and Statement of Proposal is available online www.codc.govt.nz or at Council offices and service centres.

Public meetings will be held in Ranfurly, Roxburgh, Cromwell, Alexandra, Patearoa and Tarras in October. For more information and to register your attendance please contact Tara Bates on (03) 440 0056.

Submissions can be made by post or email. Submissions close 18 November 2011 and submissions will be heard on 14 December 2011.