Rates increase for new Rodney rubbish service

The orange Northland Waste bags will be consigned to the dustbin of history from September 1.

In their place, Auckland Council will provide a new landfill waste wheelie bin service, funded by property rates (from the new rating year, starting July 1).

Mahurangi Wastebusters Stef Fink says the new rate for the service will be in addition to the rates homeowners already pay.

“If you’re filling your (new) bin once a week, it comes out at about the same cost (as using rubbish bags). If you produce less than that, it is obviously a bit more expensive,” Fink said. 

The charge for each bin size will be:
• 80-litre – $134.63
• 120-litre – $162.01
• 240-litre – $268.90

Council says all residential property owners must pay this charge.

“You cannot remove this charge from your rates, even if you decide not to use the service.”

Northland Waste says it will continue to provide its rubbish service in the district until the council changes take effect – and beyond that, if it remains viable.

Fink says the new landfill rubbish bins are being delivered in July and August.

“The default size is 120 litres, which is suitable for a household of three to five people depending on how much waste they produce.”

However there are two other options – a smaller 80-litre bin or the much larger 240-litre bin.

“Obviously the smaller the bin, the lower the price. If you don’t create much waste, we’re encouraging everyone to get their request in for that smaller bin size,” she says.

Fink says if people live rurally, have any access requirements or can’t physically manage a wheelie bin, they can request council rubbish bags provided instead.

“Council will send you a six-month supply of bags equivalent to whatever bin size you would choose to use over that six-month period. 

“It’s the same cost as the bin, there’s no price difference between a rubbish bin or bag. It’s the same price for 80 litres, 120 litres or 240 litres’ worth.”

To make a request for the smaller or larger bin or for the bag option, ask at the council services desk at Warkworth Library.

Or go to https://shorturl.at/fpbdc. Use the ‘Request a bin service’ form. On step 2, select ‘Request bins for a new waste service’. On step 4, select ‘Rubbish Bin Small (80-litre)’ or ‘Rubbish Bin Large (240-litre)’.

A $40 admin fee will be charged for bin requests made after August 31.

To get your preferred bin size before the rubbish service starts, make your request before May 18.

Council says it will deliver a standard 120-litre rubbish bin to your property from June 30 and take a photo as proof of delivery.

Pick-up for the landfill waste bin is weekly, while the 120-litre yellow recycling bin is still collected fortnightly.