Media Release: Thursday 8 March
Council seeks public input on plan for tackling waste
Horowhenua District Council approved public consultation on proposals to manage and minimise waste in the District at
its meeting last night.
A Waste Assessment begun in mid-2017 found that Horowhenua generated almost 18,000 tonnes of waste in 2016, 83 per cent
of which went into landfill.
The Waste Assessment identified a number of issues and opportunities.
"We have incomplete data on the quantity and composition of waste in our District, and the bylaw that should help us
collect this data and help fund Council's kerbside recycling service is not operating as expected," said Horowhenua
District Council Environmental Engineer, Ryan Hughes.
"In addition, Council's waste transfer stations are costly to operate, illegal dumping of waste is an ongoing issue, and
there is potential to improve how we deal with commercial and construction waste."
Council has developed a Draft Waste Minimisation and Management Plan which contains proposed targets for dealing with
waste and sets out an action plan to meet those targets.
Targets include reducing the waste disposed of into the landfill to below 400kg per person; recycling at least 40 per
cent of the waste collected at the roadside from households and 50 per cent of the waste taken to transfer stations; and
maintaining a high level of public satisfaction with Council's solid waste services.
The action plan aims to address the issues identified and to meet the targets.
Mr Hughes said the action plan focuses on waste minimisation and management infrastructure, information and education
for the community and getting the right policy framework in place.
"We want to enable the members of the community to manage their waste according to the waste hierarchy, preferring waste
avoidance, reduction and recycling," Mr Hughes said.
Council is seeking feedback on the Draft Waste Minimisation and Management Plan via a survey that asks a number of key
questions, including whether Council has got the targets right, what should be taken into account when considering
medium-to-long-term options for the Levin Landfill, and what additional waste management and minimisation activities
should be introduced in Horowhenua.
The survey can be completed online on Council’s website at www.horowhenua.govt.nz/DraftWasteMMP or collected from
Council’s customer service centres: Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō and Council offices in Levin, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom
in Foxton or the Shannon Library.
The consultation period opens on Friday 9 March and closes at 5pm on Tuesday 10 April.
Further information, including the Statement of Proposal, Draft Waste Assessment and Draft Waste Minimisation and
Management Plan, is available from Council’s website or from Council’s customer service centres.
ENDS