Bluegums landfill in Blenheim is Marlborough’s only mixed waste disposal point and is Council-owned, with its operating costs recovered through gate fees. It is also subject to the Government’s waste disposal levy and the emissions trading scheme.

“The Government introduced the waste disposal levy in 2008/09, initially set at $10 per tonne for all material sent to landfill,” the Council’s Solid Waste Manager Alec McNeil said.

“The levy is designed to send a price signal to the market that landfill disposal is the least desirable option for dealing with waste. The Government’s intention was to gradually increase the levy over a period of time and encourage re-use and recycling instead of people just dumping their waste.”

“The Government has now set out a plan to increase the levy over the next four years. That means there will be a corresponding increase in landfill dumping costs. It’s important to note that the money raised however is reinvested in waste infrastructure and service provision to help reduce our reliance on landfill and encourage recycling and reuse.”

Mr McNeil said the levy is collected by the Council and transferred to Central Government.

“The Government, through legislation, then determines how it is spent. Half the levy collected is diverted to the Waste Minimisation Fund (WMF), a contestable pot that can be applied to annually for waste diversion projects. A small percentage of the fund is used to support the Government agencies that administer the levy. The remaining part is allocated to local councils on a population-based formula.”

“Marlborough receives just over one per cent of the remaining levy back. The monies returned then have to be used in a manner that supports diversion of waste from landfill. At present the Council uses the levy to support the Resource Recovery Centre in Blenheim. The levy amount received by Council varies between $150k and $185k per year.”

The emissions trading scheme also impacts on the cost of disposal at landfill. The landfill is an emitter of carbon dioxide and emissions are calculated and priced based on a tonnage rate applied to carbon. The carbon price is determined through the emissions trading scheme. The amount of gas that the landfill site produces is calculated annually and a ‘surrender obligation’ is generated. The surrender obligation is paid for by buying carbon units.”

Both the waste disposal levy and the emissions trading scheme are pricing mechanisms designed to reflect the environmental impact of landfill disposal, Mr McNeil said.

“Since the waste disposal levy and carbon pricing were introduced, Marlborough District Council has been able to invest heavily in infrastructure and services that will help reduce our reliance on landfill. We have improved our transfer stations to allow for recycling and we established the resource recovery centre, ewaste collection facility, salvage yard, hazardous waste centre, waste sorting centre, rural community recycling containers, greenwaste acceptance facility and the reuse centre.”

“We also introduced kerbside recycling collections in Blenheim and Picton in 2010, all to help reduce our reliance on landfill and provide the community with alternative methods for dealing with waste. These investments will now begin to pay off as the landfill waste disposal levy is increased.”

Marlborough District Council is also reviewing its waste fees and charges and a report will be presented to the Assets and Services Committee on 15 April. Alec McNeil said that any changes to waste fees will be applied from 1 July 2021.

“The Council’s Draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2021-27 is currently out for community consultation. People can comment on the plan, including on waste fees, by going to the Have Your Say section on the Council website at www.marlborough.govt.nz Submissions close on 31 March 2021.”

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