Bins delivered for new waste contract

Jon Kingsford.
Jon Kingsford.
Eight thousand new, red-lidded wheelie bins, costing about $70 each, are being distributed throughout Central Otago as preparations are made for a move to fortnightly refuse collections in July.

They will replace old, failing bins when contractor AllWaste begins an eight-year contract to provide the new service.

Central Otago District Council infrastructure services manager Jon Kingsford said AllWaste would replace previous contract holder Pratty's Bins.

The owner of Pratty's Bins had sold the business to Otago Southland Waste Services, which had been rebranded AllWaste, Mr Kingsford said.

The new contract was part of an effort to encourage a change in behaviour towards recycling and refuse in the region, and cut the cost of the service and the amount of material sent to landfill.

''Continuing with a weekly service would have meant an increase of around 74% in collection costs.''

Growth in Central Otago was also an issue, and the service was already at capacity, he said.

And to continue providing a weekly service in the expanding collection area, it would have required two trucks.

Under the new regime, collections will be extended into Bannockburn, Pisa Moorings and sections of Manuherikia Rd and Letts Gully Road in Alexandra.

The decision to extend was made by the council after a review of the collection area in 2012, and in response to community demand, Mr Kingsford said.

Properties in those areas would be rated for collection in the same way as the majority of the region, with the refuse collection targeted rate for 2014-15 being about $225.

Under the new structure, savings would be made by sending less material to landfill, but those savings would be offset by the additional cost of managing the anticipated increase in recyclable material.

Queenstown Central Otago AllWaste manager Mark McKone said the company, which had been operating transfer stations in the region since 1999, would get a new truck for the service and refuse would still be taken to the Victoria Flat landfill.

''It works pretty well for us. We were looking at expanding a little bit in what we do in Central Otago and collections were a part of that,'' he said.

Staff numbers at the company, which had waste collection contracts across Southland and Otago, would remain the same as before the contract was awarded.

Mr Kingsford declined to release the cost of the contract.

The other tender was received from infrastructure provider Delta.

Mr Kingsford said bins being distributed in the region had a 240-litre capacity.

However, 120-litre bins were available at the same rate as the larger bins.

leith.huffadine@odt.co.nz

 


Talking rubbish

• New refuse collection schedule begins July 1.

• Collections fortnightly.

• New collection areas are Bannockburn, Pisa Moorings, sections of Manuherikia Rd and Letts Gully Rd in Alexandra.

• New contract held by AllWaste for eight years, replacing Pratty's Bins.

• Refuse collection targeted rate for 2014-15 about $225.


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