South Auckland Residents Slam Plan To Cut Rubbish Collection To Fortnightly

Friday, 12 September 2025, 4:10 pm
Article: Torika Tokalau - Local Democracy Reporter

Residents in a south Auckland suburb are calling for the city council to stop a trial that will help determine whether the region will move to a fortnightly rubbish collection. 

Parts of Clendon Park/Weymouth in the south, Te Atatū Peninsula in West Auckland and Panmure/Tāmaki in the east have been selected for a proposed six-month trial of fortnightly rubbish collections. 

The trial, expected to begin in February for 10,000 households, would be used in any decision on a regional rollout. 

A public meeting in Clendon Park on Wednesday night, hosted by Manurewa Papakura councillor Daniel Newman, was heated as residents voiced their frustration. 

“Why us, why not other suburbs?” one demanded. 

Another person said the timing of the trial, scheduled for summer, was a terrible idea, noting that when it got hot, rubbish bins would become overloaded and attract maggots. 

A public consultation is scheduled to run from October 13 to 31, beginning with affected residents and then opening to the wider public. 

Feedback gathered would help councillors decide whether to move forward with the trial. 

One resident said it felt like the trial was already decided, and the council was just ticking off a checklist with the consultation process, before forcing the trial on ratepayers. 

“What it sounds like to me is they’re trying to tell us how to live and I find that very offensive.”

Another resident suggested that the council was deliberately making rubbish disposal more difficult in order to encourage people to find their own ways to reduce waste. 

However, they felt the approach being taken wouldn’t solve the problem in a way that was practical or enjoyable for residents. 

Auckland Council’s General Manager of Waste Solutions, Justine Haves, said the proposed trial areas had been chosen to reflect the diversity of Auckland households – from larger families to younger populations, and a range of income levels.

“This will help us understand how fortnightly collections might work across different communities,” Haves said. 

“We encourage everyone to have their say during the consultation period.” 

She said the council would directly inform affected households and ratepayers in the proposed trial areas, including details about available support if the trial went ahead. 

Information would also be available online, closer to the consultation date. 

“Once consultation closes, we will collate all submissions and present them to elected members of the relevant committee, who will decide in December whether the trial should go ahead.” 

Newman said he did not support the fortnightly collection proposal from the beginning. 

“I live in Wattle Downs, we’re a small household. We can manage a fortnightly collection wonderfully, but the concern is how it will affect not our household, but every household,” he said. 

The trial was part of council’s goal to reduce the amount of waste ending up in landfills. The city currently sent 1.5 million tonnes of rubbish to landfill each year — enough to fill Eden Park every week. 

Proposal timeline

October 13 - 31: public consultation on proposed six-month trial. 

December: Council committee to decide whether to proceed with trial.

 February 2026: Trial to begin, if agreed.

Ends in August. 

-LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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