Concerns over recommended closure of waste depot

RESIDENTS concerned about the proposed removal of the Hawea waste depot, expressed their concerns and outlined alternatives to Queenstown Lakes District Council staff at a public meeting on Saturday.

The future of the depot has been uncertain since April, when council officers recommended the facility be shut down.

About 30 members of the community attended Saturday’s meeting, which was organised by the Hawea Community Association, and discussed with the council’s maintenance and operations manager Erin Moogan what the issues over the facility were and the best options for the future.

Ms Moogan said the council had identified a significant amount of glass — probably commercial — was being dumped over the summer hol iday period and contractors had put the council on notice, due to health and safety concerns.

However, she noted the contract the council had let provided an ‘‘insufficient’’ level of service and ‘‘changes need to be made’’.

The waste contracts would be renewed on July 1, 2019.

However, Ms Moogan said the facility could not last another summer of abuse.

‘‘We need to make changes by September. It can’t be managed in its current state.’’

Wastebusters general manager Sue Coutts told the meeting a possible solution would be to make some minor changes to the depot, and have a local person watch over the facility.

She said that was how Wastebusters ran its depots around Central Otago and it had received only one complaint across the district in three years.

‘‘I’d be happy to work with the HCA to come up with an alternative for the next year [until the contract renewal].’’

Ms Moogan will make her recommendation to the council’s infrastructure committee, which will decide the depot’s future at a meeting next week.