Media Release

Stick it to Rubbish

All dwelling owners within 15 kilometres of a rural transfer station have had stickers posted to them in the last week. 13 stickers have been sent out with a pamphlet on how the changes will work, a change form the 17 mentioned on the pamphlet. The remaining four more will arrive with the October rates invoice.

“The move towards a user pays system, very similar to what happens in Gisborne city and in many other towns and rural areas in New Zealand, is a way of changing how rubbish services are paid for. The user pays system in Gisborne has been successful. Over the past decade, less rubbish has been going to landfill and recycling has increased. Most households manage with their allocation of one sticker per week” said Dave Hadfield, Council’s waste manager.

Renters should ask their landlords for the stickers they will have received, otherwise they will need to buy them.

There are retail outlets for stickers in each township, in most cases this is the local store. Workplaces, community groups, sports clubs, marae, and schools will all need to purchase stickers as they are not rated to cover the cost of rubbish disposal. Stickers will not be for sale at the transfer station so anyone arriving without stickers will have to make another trip.

From Monday October 1 all waste going into the rural transfer stations, both in bags and on trailers, will have to be stickered.

Pamphlets about the changes are also available from the community caretakers. As well as giving the number of stickers that different amounts of rubbish will need, they also give the new opening hours of each transfer station. Access to the rural transfer stations is being restricted to the operating hours. There will no longer be a free access gate. To make this fair all communities have been given 8 hours of opening a week. Waiapu is open for 2 hours every day. The hours are to be reviewed after six months.

This information is also available on the Gisborne District Council website http://www.gdc.govt.nz/changes-to-rural-transfer-stations/
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