Our country’s landfills are a finite resource and Government policy designed to ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ continues to hit people where it hurts - their wallet.

Council has just completed its annual review of waste fees and charges and today the Assets & Services Committee considered a series of recommendations, all involving increased charges.

The committee approved an ‘across the board’ rise to recover all costs associated with the increase in the Government’s Waste Disposal Levy, the landfill carbon price, landfill aftercare/reserve provisions, and contract escalations from user pays (gate fee) contributions, as well as an amendment to the kerbside refuse collection targeted rate.

“This is largely driven by Government increases in the Waste Disposal Levy and emissions trading scheme,” Assets & Services Manager Richard Coningham told the committee. “It is a cost recovery exercise for Council.”

The new fees and charges come into effect on 1 July 2022.

“This year will see a significant increase in landfill gate fees due mainly to the increase in the Waste Disposal Levy, carbon price and aftercare/reserve provisions at our regional landfill at Bluegums in Blenheim,” said Mr Coningham.

The Government has confirmed that the Waste Disposal Levy will increase from $23.00 per tonne to $34.50 per tonne (GST inclusive). This accounts for 41.9 per cent of the overall landfill gate fee increase.

“Cost recovery for these increases needs to be made via increased gate fees and an amendment to the kerbside refuse collection targeted rate, in line with Council’s user pays policy,” he said.

While Mr Coningham acknowledges that old habits can be hard to break, Council has signalled for some time now that the public’s reliance on dumping their rubbish in landfills is going to become an increasingly expensive habit.

Blenheim Ward Councillor Michael Fitzpatrick, who holds this portfolio, says Government continues to use price hikes to persuade people to dump less and recycle, reduce, and repurpose more.

“There is no alternative to these revised waste fees and charges as they are initiated by Government legislation, designed to support a policy of landfill avoidance,” said Mr Fitzpatrick. “Any attempt to reduce the impact of these changes would undermine this policy. Instead, people need to be encouraged to focus on reduction, reuse, and recycling, to limit the amount of material sent to landfill,” he said.

The Government introduced the Waste Disposal Levy in 2008-09 and it sets this each year. It is applied to all waste entering the Bluegums landfill.

“The Government’s intention is to gradually increase the levy over time and encourage reuse and recycling,” said Mr Coningham. “The emissions trading scheme also has 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,” he said.

Bluegums landfill in Blenheim is Marlborough’s only mixed waste disposal point and is Council-owned, with its operating costs 100% recovered through user-pays gate fees.

What do the changes mean for you?

Changes to what people pay for waste will be dependent on the type and amount of rubbish people take to the transfer stations or landfill.

• The tonnage rate at the Bluegums landfill will increase by $27.44 per tonne (including GST)
• The average cost for disposing of general waste at the transfer stations or waste sorting centre will increase by around $3.50 per visit (this will vary for trailer loads)
• The average cost of grass disposal will increase by 28% per cent; grass and greenwaste charging will revert to tonnage once the weighbridge upgrades are completed by June 2022
• The coin skip charge will increase by $1. This equates to a 25% increase. The revised coin skip charge will now be $5 (GST inclusive)

The new waste fees and charges will take effect from 1 July 2022 subject to ratification at the full Council meeting later this month. More details will be made available on Council’s website closer to this date.

Waste Disposal Levy

The Waste Disposal Levy was introduced under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 to raise revenue for the promotion and achievement of waste minimisation. The levy encourages organisations and individuals to take responsibility for the waste they produce and to find more effective and efficient ways to reduce, reuse, recycle or reprocess waste. In 2020/2021, Council spent $169,034.20 from the levy on initiatives that support this.

For more information go to: https://environment.govt.nz/what-government-is-doing/areas-of-work/waste/waste-disposal-levy/expansion/

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