Local Government New Zealand are pleased to see a waste work programme announced today by the Associate Minister for the Environment will aim to address waste issues that councils have been calling for support on.

“Councils across the country have been undertaking their own waste management and minimisation initiatives, but to really make headway against the rising tide of waste, local and central government need to work in partnership,” says LGNZ President Dave Cull.

“There was overwhelming support for remits at the LGNZ AGM in July that called for central government to expand the waste disposal levy to apply to more landfills, adopt a National Waste Data Framework, and to implement a comprehensive and mandatory product stewardship programme for tyres.”

“We’re extremely pleased to see the Government has prioritised these actions among its waste work programme to both minimise and manage waste.”

“Right now the tools and incentives that councils have to manage waste better are insufficient to deal with the volume generated. The waste disposal levy is only applied at 11 percent of the country’s landfills, and the information about what is going into landfill isn’t being captured.”

“With the right consultation, planning and research, the announced work programme has the potential to significantly reduce waste in all classes, and we look forward to working with the Government on developing it.”

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