Rubbish bins likely to remain for now

The long-term future is uncertain for the rubbish bins in John Wilson Ocean Dr and in parks and reserves across the city, but they are likely to stay put for some considerable time yet.

Questions were raised by Otago Daily Times readers this week about the future of the bins in John Wilson Ocean Dr, several of them having received what they felt was confusing information after complaining about the bins overflowing.

Dunedin City Council parks manager Lisa Wheeler said yesterday the agreement with contractors was that the three bins east of the bollards in John Wilson Ocean Dr were emptied once they were full, something the contractor was meant to manage.

The contractor was still ''coming to terms'' with weekly requirements since the road was recently reopened to vehicles for 20 hours a week, she said.

She was confident, however, the contractor was working it out, and said the service would continue the way it was ''at this stage''.

As part of its waste management strategy, the council was looking for ways to reduce litter waste going to landfill, and over time bins in parks and reserves would be replaced with multi-receptacle recycling bins.

There had also been discussions about encouraging and educating people to take away all of their waste from visits to coastal environments but, as yet, it had gone no further than talk, she said.

Various situations would prompt bin removals, including if bins needed to be renewed or replaced or when landscape developments called for changes in a park or reserve.

The changes would be made on a case-by-case basis, Ms Wheeler said.

John Wilson Ocean Dr was not, as yet, a priority when it came to any of that work, so any changes to the bins on that road would probably be in the long term. Some long-term planning would be done in the next 18 months, which would likely include considering how to manage litter.

Council solid waste manager Ian Featherston said there were no plans to change the litter collection service outside parks and reserves A $100,000 reduction in the expenditure on refuse collection reported in the draft annual plan for 2013-14 was because of a reduction in the sale of council rubbish bags, he said.

The collection of the full bags was fully funded by the sale of empty bags, so a reduction in sales equated to a reduction in the expenditure on litter collection.

- debbie.porteous@odt.co.nz