DCC to ponder rubbish funding

FUNDING options for a new kerbside rubbish and recycling scheme will be decided by the Dunedin City Council this week.

Different combinations of general rates, targeted rates, a fixeduser charge or a payasyouthrow option could be chosen.

Last year, councillors decided a fourbin setup for kerbside collection was their preference — rubbish, recycling, glass and food scraps — and households may opt for a fifth bin for green waste.

A threebin system for rubbish, recycling and glass, and no separate service for food scraps or green waste — was chosen as an alternative option.

Both options will be consulted on with the public in March as part of the council’s 10year plan.

Councillors will decide on a preferred funding source to be used for each kerbside bin this week.

Residents might pay for the collection through general rates, targeted rates, a fixeduser charge or a payasyouthrow option outlined in four options.

In the report, staff recommend the fourbin setup be funded through targeted rates, with the fifth green waste bin funded through a fixed user charge.

This would ensure a simple system for council staff and residents and could ensure collection in an equitable manner across residents, it said.

A payasyouthrow option for rubbish or garden waste collection would allow residents to pay for the service when needed.

The method could incentivise reducing household waste.

However, the report said there was no largescale technology for the payasyouthrow service, and would likely have to include a prepaid tag or system initially, which would be more expensive to operate.

If the favoured option was implemented, households could be expected to pay between $270 and $310 a year in a targeted rate and an optional garden waste service could add $140 to $180.

The council’s estimated initial capital spend would be an estimated $20.6 million.

If residents preferred the threebin system, that would drop to $9.9 million.

After a funding decision is made at this week’s council meeting, public consultation on both collection options will begin on March 24.

The next contract for kerbside collection is due to start in July, 2022.