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The shift to an Auckland Council-run rubbish collection is on its way, with the rollout planned for the Hibiscus Coast in September next year.
Meanwhile, the council is seeking local board feedback on its draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan, and the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board had plenty of suggestions to make.
At its June 25 meeting, the board listed 31 points for council to consider.
It was noted at the meeting that the proposed change to a fortnightly household rubbish collection was proving to be a key issue. If adopted as part of the plan, fortnightly rubbish collections would be rolled out around progressively from July 2026.
The local board supported the fortnightly collection of kerbside rubbish, once the food scrap collection is embedded.
Issues raised in relation to fortnightly collection include the volume of waste (potential need for larger bins) and odours relating to nappy/sanitary product waste.
The draft states that fortnightly rubbish collection is a proven way to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill as it incentivises people to minimise waste, compost at home or use the food scraps service, consider things like packaging when making purchases, and recycle.
It says that cost savings from reduced collection frequency will be passed on to ratepayers.
To incentivise waste reduction, the larger the bin a household chooses, the bigger the cost. Currently the annual targeted rates charges for weekly rubbish collections start at $145.24 for the smallest (80L) bin, $174.77 for the 120L size and $290.09 for the 240L bin.
Should you select the wrong size bin, there is a $40 charge to exchange a bin for one of a different size. This covers the cost of administration and the physical swapping of the bins. To help households during the transition to the council-run service, the exchange fee will be waived for households that wish to exchange their bin for a smaller size.
The local board’s feedback also supported resource recovery, including the potential development of a community recycling centre in Silverdale and the expansion of the existing Whangaparāoa Community Recycling Centre.
The plan will go to the council’s Planning Environment and Parks Committee for approval late this year.
