Disposing of Waitaki's rubbish will cost residents more from 2016, when the Oamaru landfill closes, Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher has warned.
While no figures are available yet, Mr Kircher sees one good thing coming from that - an encouragement for people to recycle more to reduce their waste.
At present, the council does not operate a collection service, instead leaving that to residents to arrange with private contractors.
But, through the contractors' charges, residents pay the cost of any waste they send to the landfill.
The Waitaki District Council has looked at options for disposing of the district's waste, estimated at about 10,000 tonnes a year, once the landfill closes.
Its assets committee this week recommended a joint venture with Waste Management.
That would include some involvement by the Waitaki Resource Recovery Trust, which operates the recycling park in Chelmer St, Oamaru, and building an Oamaru transfer station.
The site identified for the transfer station is in Chelmer St, next to the resource recovery park, although other sites are available.
It is estimated the council would contribute between $1.1 million and $1.3 million, funded from reserves and a loan, towards the cost of the transfer station through the joint venture.
If the council approves the recommendation on September 17, then it will start negotiating an implementation plan with Waste Management, including where the transfer station will be, the trust's involvement, how waste after recycling is disposed of and where.
''The cost of getting rid of our waste is going to go up,'' Mr Kircher said.
Because the landfill would close and waste would have to be transported to another site, costs would rise.
''But it will encourage people to get recycling more,'' he said.
