Council implements green waste charge at solid waste facilities

Starting today, Monday 21 August, Council has implemented a charge for green waste at McLean’s Pit Landfill & Recycling Centre, Moana, Nelson Creek & Blackball Resource Centres.

Disposal of green waste will be charged at McLean’s Pit Landfill & Recycling Centre through the weighbridge at $184.00 per tonne. Disposal of green waste at the Resource Centres will be charged based on volume as there are no weighbridges on site. For example, a car boot will cost $18.40. The full fees and charges can be found on the Grey District Council website.

The decision to introduce a charge for disposing of green waste was made by Council earlier this year as part of the Annual Plan 23/24 process.

Council Solid Waste Officer, Kaia Beal says “the Council had previously been briefed on the price of carbon credits and waste levy charges, and its effect on Council’s operations, particularly in the solid waste area. Therefore, it was identified that Council needed to decide how to provide the necessary income to cover the cost of the ETS and the Waste Levy.”

Council consulted with the community during April and May 2023 and presented two options for the community to consider.

Mr Beal says: “Council’s preferred option, was the introduction of a green waste charge that would mean only users of the service would pay. The alternative option was an increase to the general rate of $160,000, meaning ratepayers would cover the cost of processing green waste.”

The submissions received from the consultation showed clear support for the user pays option and the charge was approved by Council on 29 June 2023.

The Annual Plan came into effect on 1 July 2023,

Mr Beal says: “The green waste charge was not implemented immediately, as a number of site alterations were required first. The layout of McLean’s Pit Landfill & Recycling Centre has now been altered to allow for those disposing of green waste, scrap steel and un-treated timber to travel via the weighbridge. These changes are also designed to enable improved recording of the total tonnage of all products entering the site.”

Customers disposing of paper and cardboard, green, brown & clear glass bottles/jars, tin cans, aluminium cans, plastics 1, 2 & 5 will need to be dropped off into crates via the usual recycling centre entrance. New crates and bins are now in place for these. Customers will no longer have access to the older recycling bays.

Council will continue to assess diversion options for waste, to reduce the ongoing cost to Council.