The Stratford Refuse Transfer Station will have new days and hours of operation from 1 October 2024. Currently open 7 days a week, the new opening hours will see the Transfer Station close on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, both days of low use, and shut its doors earlier on Fridays.

In return, opening hours on Monday, Saturday, and Sunday, all busy days for the Transfer Station, will be increased. The total amount of hours the Transfer Station will be open will remain the same at 23 hours a week.

John Cooper, SDC Services Asset Manager, says, “It’s clear people have a bit of a clear out or tidy up on the weekends. Making sure we’re open a little earlier on the busy days just makes sense. And closing on the really quiet days to compensate means we’re able to better suit the community’s use of the facility, while keeping within our budget.”

“Closing two days a week is also the best move to look after our operators. They do a great job and it’s hard to have a good break when you’re a two-person team working in a place that’s open 7 days a week,” says John.

Under the new hours of operation, the Transfer Station will be closed on New Year’s Day. John says, “New Year’s Day is traditionally incredibly quiet. By closing, we can save a bit of budget and give our team the day with friends and whānau. The day after New Year’s Day 2025, we’ll be open. So, make sure you bring in any extra glass bottles from your celebrations and take advantage of the Transfer Station’s free recycling.”

Transfer Station opening times will not be the only change to waste services coming from 1 October. Waste Management NZ will take over responsibility for the council’s solid waste services from that date onwards. There won’t be any outward change to the district’s kerbside collection services as a result, but residents may notice that the trucks collecting their recycling, glass, and landfill waste look different.

Transfer Station opening hours from 1 October 2024:

• Monday: 12pm – 5pm
• Tuesday, Wednesday: Closed
• Thursday: 10am – 1pm
• Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: 12pm – 5pm
• Closed Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Good Friday

Iinformation about the Transfer Station can be found at Stratford.govt.nz/TransferStation

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