Transfer station weighbridges fairer, and with some cost savings too

Weighbridges are being installed and recycling drop-off areas enhanced at transfer stations in Geraldine, Temuka and Timaru as the Timaru District Council moves to more fairly spread the costs of waste disposal.

Changes to the fee structure when weighbridges are commissioned in the three centres over the next few months will mean cost savings for vehicles including trailers and light vans and light trucks bringing loads weighing less than 200kg.

They will pay $30 per load, down from the current trailer/light van charge of $40.

And Timaru District Council waste management officer Ruth Clarke said that because cars and station wagons would be split into two categories, car charges for all categories would reduce.

Geraldine will be the first rural transfer station to have a weighbridge installed and work will start on March 15.

Ms Clarke said two weeks had been allowed for the installation work and Geraldine should be up and running by Easter.

Work is scheduled to begin on the installation of a weighbridge at the Temuka transfer station on April 12 and this should be commissioned a couple of weeks later, she said.

“Then comes a second a weighbridge for the Redruth transfer station in Timaru and work on this will start on July 1,” Ms Clarke said.

Apart from cars and station wagons all other vehicles would be weighed on the new weighbridges, she said.

“If their loads weighed less than 200kg they will pay a minimum charge of $30.

“This is a reduction from the current trailer charge of $40.

“Other vehicles will pay as they go, which means means the Timaru District Council gate rate will be charged pro rata [heavier the load, the higher the cost] as would the Government waste levy of $10/tonne.”

This was fairer, Ms Clarke said.

“Up until now the levy, which is a national levy we are obliged to collect and pay to the Government, has been included in the trailer charge but with increased numbers of heavier trailers entering the transfer stations these users are not paying their share of the levy or of the waste disposal charges.

“They are effectively being subsidised by other users.”

She said weighbridges removed arguments.

“The current judgment of volume and density can be quite subjective,” Ms Clarke said.

“With the positive factor of a weighbridge is there is no argument. You pay for what you dispose of by weight.

“It’s very fair.”

Recycling drop-off areas are also to be enhanced to enable customers to drop off all recyclables before they go past the kiosk to be weighed.

Ms Clarke said this would also reduce costs for users who choose to recycle.

Items that can be recycled to reduce the load on trailers include cardboard, mixed recyclables such as those put in the yellow bin; paper, card, aluminium and steel cans, glass bottles and jars and all plastic bottles and containers.

“Drop-off options also include all scrap metal, clothing bins for charity, LPG bottles, batteries and reusable goods which can be dropped off for sale at The Crow’s Nest goods receipt container at Redruth in Timaru.”

Ms Clarke said the Timaru District Council’s 3-2-1 ZERO kerbside three-bin waste disposal system had successfully diverted from the Redruth landfill about 70 per cent of kerbside waste to recycling or composting.

“Our system has been copied in Auckland and Christchurch and is being considered for Invercargill. Maximum diversion has been achieved through this system,” she said.

“The next step is to sort out waste as you load up your trailer to bring it to the transfer station.”

She suggested putting recyclable items in a bag at the back of the trailer for easy unloading to save unnecessary weight charges.

“Taking off that old LPG cylinder or battery weighing an estimated 5 kg each would have the benefit of saving a disposal fee of around 80 cents per item; lengthen even further the life of the Redruth landfill, and be better for the environment by recycling and re-using precious resources.

“Imagine what recycling a fridge for scrap metal or a cabinet in good condition or a box of books will save you in weighbridge charges,” she said.

ENDS

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