Sign In / Register
Hypocritical policy
I have had an increase of 30 per cent in my rates, which I can’t afford. However, it’s the 200 per cent increase in rubbish bag/bin cost, which angers me. After all the hype from council about zero waste, I have composted and recycled, and I thought it a good cause. So I only put out a bag a month. Now it costs me $135 minimum for the year for the smallest bin, or the same for a minimum of 32 bags that will take nearly three years to use!
Am I subsidising those who put out much more than I do? This seems to encourage me to put out more to landfill, at least twice as much. I urge council to change this completely hypocritical policy, if they really do aim to encourage and reduce waste to landfill.
Bruce Martin, Warkworth
Unfair charging
I am writing to let Rodney home owners know that the new council bins do not take any green waste. I thought I had kept up with all communications on this matter, but I missed that one.
When I rang council to opt out of the council rubbish bin collection, they told me I can opt out but I will still be charged on my rates for a bin I don’t use. That is:
$125.58 for an 80-litre bin from 1 September to 30 June 2026 (10 months collection), $163.15 for a 120-litre bin, and $270.80 for a 240-litre bin.
I expressed my dissatisfaction with being charged for a service I do not want to receive and was told that the cost of each bin collection is taking into account the number of households across the area and it cannot be stopped.
Surely it is illegal for the council to charge for something that we may not wish to receive? Council making the rules and another charge on our rates that we don’t get – like the transport charge in our rates and there is no bus service to our area.
Where do we go from here as ratepayers? I would like to see all ratepayer associations and homeowners lobby council at least to make it fair by charging if you get a council bin service or no charge if we opt out. I wonder what Consumer would think of this blatant misuse of power.
I am sure many of us will choose to pursue another option which includes garden waste collection. Otherwise we may see people choosing to dump their green waste elsewhere.
There had to be a catch with this offer to ratepayers of a bin collection with a charge on your rates. No green waste collection, and an opportunity for council to increase charges for this service year-after-year, with no advice to ratepayers and no opportunity to stop the rubbish charge on your rates if the service provided by them does not suit your family requirements.
Jackie Davies, Whangateau
Auckland Council general manager waste solutions Justine Haves responded: The change to region-wide rates-funded was consulted on in the 2022-23 Annual Plan and Aucklanders had the opportunity to have their say as part of this consultation. The majority of Aucklanders who submitted through the consultation supported the rationale for paying for refuse services through rates.
Having everyone on a unified collection service that includes recycling and food scraps, gives us the best chance to minimise waste and reduce emissions as we work towards Auckland’s goal of zero waste by 2040.
We want to protect Auckland’s natural environment by reducing reliance on landfills, while keeping costs for Aucklanders as low as possible. A universal rates-funded rubbish collection helps us to deliver a more consistent and cost-effective service and makes it easier to engage with Aucklanders on how we can all reduce waste.
Green waste is not accepted as per the bylaw (https://shorturl.at/hovg0) except for pest plants, palm, flax and other fibrous plants that are not readily home compostable or collected by private green waste collectors.
Keeping pets safe
We’re sorry to hear about Jennifer McIntyre’s dog (MM, Aug 4), and glad to hear that her dog made a full recovery.
Ms McIntyre’s thoughts were correct that this was not part of an Auckland Council programme and was not 1080 pellets laid or provided by the council.
There are no current contracted pest control programmes or volunteer-led programmes in Omaha Reserve using this type of Philproof bait station. The pest poison appears to have been on private property bordering the reserve, perhaps part of pest control on a private property.
The use of 1080 must meet strict public health conditions and can only be used by a certified handler or person with a controlled substance licence. It is not available to the general public for residential pest control purposes and is unlikely to be approved for use on a local reserve.
If you suspect a dog has ingested poison, look for signage that indicates the type of bait being used and contact details for the licenced operator so you can give the right information to your vet. If there is no information, they will provide treatment based on a potential worst-case scenario.
Anyone undertaking pest control on any property must follow good practice, to keep people and pets safe and be sure that pest control is the most effective. You can find Auckland Council’s Pest Animal Control Guidelines for the Auckland Region on our Tiaki Tāmaki Makaurau.
Info: https://www.tiakitamakimakaurau.nz/media/svpnor1e/pest-animal-control-guidelines.pdf.
Eli Nathan, Auckland Council head of area operations
Poison is indifferent
The article headed ‘Pest poison posing problems on Kawau Island’ (MM Aug 4), was followed three pages later by a Letter to the Editor under the heading ‘Dog poisoned’.
The articles are linked in the sense that the poisoning programme presently being carried out on Kawau includes using 1080 poison, and also cyanide and brodifacoum. All three are highly toxic to dogs.
The specific targets for the baits being used are rats, possums and wallabies, but the poisons are indifferent to who consumes them, or the carcasses of the animals that have ingested the poisons.
Whether it is one of the target species, a pet or native bird, the consequences are likely to be the same for all – they will all die.
In the event that any of your readers take comfort from the statement in your article that brodifacoum is a fast-acting toxin, they should know that it does not kill quickly.
Any animal that ingests that poison is going to die a long and painful death.
It is an anti-coagulant poison that works by generating internal bleeding. It generally takes between four to seven days to kill a rat. The bigger the animal, the longer and slower is the death.
It can take up to 20 days to kill a possum and at least as long to kill a wallaby.
It will kill whatever ingests the bait in sufficient quantity, whether that comes from direct consumption of the bait itself, or from scavenging on the carcasses of other animals who have died from brodifacoum poisoning.
The North Island weka is particularly vulnerable to this poison and Kawau, up until now, has been the home of the largest surviving island population of North Island weka in the world.
Brodifacoum is an inhumane poison. The SPCA is opposed to the use of toxin poisons to kill animals because of the level of pain and distress caused to animals. In its position paper on such poisons the SPCA statements include the following:
“Some poisons will cause extensive bleeding in muscles and joints and throughout the body including the chest cavity, which is associated with pain and breathing difficulties. An animal can experience pain and distress from poisoning for a prolonged period before they are unconscious and dead, leading to severe welfare harm.”
That description describes how brodifacoum works.
Colin Bright, Kawau Island
Get well soon
Most readers of the Mahurangi Matters would not be aware that the owner and driving force of this prestigious newspaper, Jannette Thompson, has suffered an accident which resulted in a seriously broken arm and other injuries due to a fall. Jannette hasn’t been in her office for many weeks.
I, and I believe all readers and those associated, would wish her well and a speedy and full recovery. I would also like to commend the staff for their dedication in carrying on as usual.
Gordon Levet, Wellsford
Community care for canine
I wanted to publicly put out my absolute heartfelt gratitude to all the residents of Wainoni Place who came to my desperate aid when my dog was being attacked by another dog. I do not remember or know all your names but you were all amazing. Thank you also to the awesome team at Warkworth Vets. And Kate from Animal Control/Auckland Council – you have been so caring, comforting and supportive. Unfortunately, Walt is not out of the woods in regard to his recovery, as some of you will know he already had issues with his back legs and spine. But he is such a trooper and his resilience and temperament are incredible. Thanks again!
Rosanne Towler, Warkworth
