Organic waste report a starting point for council
A REPORT outlining early options and costs for a new approach to organic waste in Dunedin is a starting point for debate, the Dunedin City Council says.
However, one Dunedin city councillor is already warning his colleagues not to ‘‘max out the credit card’’ on other projects, before detailed options for any new organic waste service are brought to the table.
The comment by Cr Aaron Hawkins came at this week’s council infrastructure and networks committee meeting, as councillors considered a report on organic waste diversion prepared by consultant Tonkin and Taylor.
A covering staff report, by council solid waste manager Catherine Irvine, said the aim was to explore options for reducing the amount of household organic waste — comprising food scraps and garden waste — making its way to the city’s landfill.
An audit of the Green Island landfill carried out in 2012 found 26% of all waste was organic, while a subsequent audit of 100 council rubbish bags last year found organic waste comprised 43% of the contents.
The council had resolved last year to explore ways of increasing resource recovery and waste minimisation, leading to Tonkin and Taylor’s report.
The 30page report outlined a variety of options for the reduction, collection, processing and sale of organic waste, as well as providing recommended options for the council to explore in more detail.
The options included everything from promoting greater composting at home, dropoff points for organic waste, garden waste or both, right through to a full citywide kerbside collection service for both.
Depending on the option, the cost of a new service could range from just $10,000 a year to more than $9 million a year.
That, in turn, could add between 1.4% and 6.5% to the city’s annual rates bill, the report said.
However, Ms Irvine stressed Tonkin and Taylor’s figures were highly indicative, based on other centres’ experiences, and had a margin of error of +/ 50%.
More detailed work over the next year would clarify the figures, before councillors considered a shortlist of options as part of wider work on the city’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2019, she said.
Cr Jim O’Malley welcomed the report at Monday’s meeting, saying it served as a ‘‘foundation document’’ for further work.
Cr Hawkins agreed, while expressing disappointment it had not come sooner and warning against excessive council spending on other projects in the meantime, before the budget for organic waste and other initiatives still being developed could be considered.