Media Release

Release date: 12 August 2011
PO BOX 747, Gisborne 4040, +64 6 867 2049 www.gdc.govt.nz

Housing New Zealand tenants to receive rubbish stickers soon

Housing New Zealand tenants will receive their rubbish stickers this month. The stickers were picked up by Housing New Zealand staff yesterday and will be immediately distributed to their tenants.

This is a good result for tenants says Gisborne District Council Chief Executive Lindsay McKenzie. “Nobody wanted to see a build up of rubbish on properties.”

This puts tenants back on a level playing field with other residents on a collection route. With a sticker they can get 5kg of rubbish picked up each week by the Council’s kerbside collection. If a household has more rubbish they must recycle more, buy extra stickers or drop it off to All Brites transfer station for a small fee.

Housing New Zealand had previously refused to accept stickers because they were focusing on tenant and asset management.

“We appreciate the goodwill that Housing New Zealand has shown to resolving this issue and indeed of all landlords to pass on rubbish stickers to their tenants. The sticker system has been very effective at reducing rubbish volumes in the district. It has changed the culture of sending everything to the dump. Most residents understand that if they recycle all their plastic, glass and paper they can easily keep their weekly rubbish volume down to under 5kg.”

Rubbish stickers are issued by Gisborne District Council to all ratepayers with the quarterly rates invoice. Council does not send rubbish stickers to tenants because they do not know who is leasing a property or when tenancies change - that is an arrangement between the tenant and property owner.

ENDS

© Scoop Media