The finer details of disposing of the Waitaki district's rubbish, along with the cost, will now be worked on so it is in operation before the Oamaru landfill closes in 2016.
A partnership agreement has been approved by the Waitaki District Council with Waste Management NZ and the next step is to make sure an Oamaru transfer station and disposal of the waste outside the district is in place.
Originally, the council was planning a joint venture with Waste Management, but that was considered overly complex for the scale of the operation.
Instead, it was decided to go with a partnering charter which defines the relationship between the two parties with Waste Management on a build-own-operate-transfer contract.
That will also include the involvement of the Waitaki Resource Recovery Trust, which operates the Oamaru resource recovery park.
The next step is to start resolving some of the issues, including where the transfer station should be located.
The council's assets manager Neil Jorgensen said that included putting together a contract ''with the meaty stuff''.
The initial preferred option was next to the resource recovery park in Chelmer St, but that had caused some protest, particularly from the Top 10 Holiday Park virtually across the road.
While that was a preferred option, Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said it was ''not set in concrete''. Other options would be explored as part of the contract.
The council would provide the chosen site leased at market rental to Waste Management.
Before any decision was made, the resource recovery trust would be consulted on a site.
Other details would include costs, where outside the district waste would go for disposal, gate charges and what would be subcontracted to the resource recovery trust.
