Wanaka ratepayers' recycling efforts were praised but Wakatipu ratepayers' were pooh-poohed by Wanaka Community Board members yesterday when it was discovered Wakatipu was not meeting its landfill diversion goal of 35%.
Wanaka's diversion rate for the month of September was 38% while Wakatipu achieved 17%.
But Wanaka could still do better, board member Jude Battson said.
Ms Battson wants Wanaka's monthly diversion target increased to 42%, which it has been close to achieving three times in the past year.
Queenstown Lakes District Council solid waste manager Stefan Borowy was asked by the deputy mayor, John S.
Wilson, of Wanaka, why Wakatipu residents were not responding to strategies to improve rubbish recycling and disposal methods.
"Are you disappointed with the Wakatipu performance? It's not very good, is it?" Mr Wilson said.
Mr Borowy defended Wakatipu-ward householders, who were recycling in increasing numbers.
The problem lay with Queenstown's commercial ratepayers, who had complained about a lack of financial incentive to recycle, he said.
Mr Borowy suggested the QLDC look at abolishing the glass-disposal fee at the landfill gate for commercial ratepayers as an incentive to improve Queenstown businesses' recycling efforts.
"But is the gate fee the issue? Or are people just not making an effort?" Mr Wilson said.
"People are saying there's not enough incentive to separate [rubbish] out; too much effort for very little financial incentive," Mr Borowy replied.
Board member Carrick Jones said it was "a great shame" Queenstown retailers felt they had no incentive to go to the trouble of recycling, and Ms Battson said Queenstown retailers should just "get over it".
"It is a privilege for these people to have a business in this region. They need to put it into their minds that this is about our planet; get over that financial factor. It is about what the community wants," she said.
Wanaka was better at recycling because it had been doing it for longer, but it could do more, she said.
Mr Borowy agreed to review the percentages with a view to increasing Wanaka's diversion goal.
