Council cuts dump hours aiming to reduce rubbish

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 635, 7 May 1996, Page 7

Council cuts dump hours aiming to reduce rubbish

Ruapehu'srubbish dumps will be open for shorter hours but with what the council calls additional . services, following the adoption of the Ruapehu District Council' s annual plan last Wednesday . Other measures proposed are aimed at reducing the amount of rubbish dumped. "The increasing cost of striving to provide a refuse

disposal service which complies with environmental requirements has been a catalyst to the change," states council chief executive Cliff Houston in a press release. The three main dumps are to be staffed from 1 July 1 996 and are to be operated in accordance with site management plan. The landfill opening hours will

be reduced to "enable the sites to be staffed in a costeffective manner". The additional services the council says they will offer are the operation of a car body stockpile area and metal stock pile area at the Ohakune dump. Mr HoUston said the staff will be involved in ensuring the quality control of the recyclable metals and moni tori ng the nature of the

refuse being deposited to ensure that no prohibited substances are dumped. Staff will alsO supervise tipping activities and administer the charging system. From 1 July 1996 the majority of costs associated with refuse disposal will be removed from the general rate, said Mr Houston. A new separate uniform annual charge will be levied on domestic dwellings. This will entitle the residents to deposit acceptable domestic refuse at their local council operated landfill or transfer station. Mr Houston said commercial and industrial properties which do not produce domestic refuse will not be charged the separate uniform annual charge for landfill maintenance but will be charged a fee based on the volume of refuse deposited. Acceptable trade refuse can be deposited at Ohakune, Taumarunui and Raetihi landfills. A written agreement will be required for disposal of trade refuse at the smaller landfills or transfer stations. The trade refuse deposit charges are based on $ 1 3 .90 (excluding GST) per cubic metre. "The variable rate charge is -a way of inflifenclng consumer choice and promoting waste minimisation," said Mr Houston. "The smaller the

volume of refuse the smaller the charge and vice versa. I f the real cost of refuse disposal is paid for directly by the user then alternati ves such as cleaner production, waste prevention and recycling may become a more attractive option." Commercial and industrial premises in Ohakune and Raetihi have to date received two refuse collections per week while those in Taumarunui receive only one. "To reduce the cross- ~ subsidisation of the second refuse collection in the southern area by the remainder . of those receiving a collection service the Thursday collection of refuse from commercial and industrial premises is to cease from 1 July 1996." The cost of the separate uniform annual charge for refuse collection from properties for which the service is made available is $56 (GST inclusjve) per • dwelling. People can make submissions on the refuse proposals with submission forms available in the draft annual plan. Mr Houston urges people who want to make a submission to do so as soon as possible. Submissions should be sent to the administration manager, Ruapehu District Council, PrivateBag 1001, Taumarunui.