The Upper Clutha Recycling and Environment Society (UCRES), which runs Wanaka Wastebusters, has had a ''substantial facelift'', including a name change and an increased governance role.
At a Wanaka Wastebusters special general meeting this week, the Friends of Wanaka Wastebusters Inc was formed to take the place of the UCRES. Meanwhile, current UCRES executive committee members will become the first board of directors for Wanaka Wastebusters Ltd - a new charitable company established to carry out all the day-to-day business operations.
''The incorporated society structure is a bit of a clumsy tool for doing business. A charitable company is a well-recognised trading structure and is a better fit with the level that we operate nowadays,'' Wastebusters general manager Sue Coutts said.
Rachel Brown was elected chairwoman of the Friends group while Russell McGeorge became chairman of the Wanaka Wastebusters Ltd board.
The Friends group would own the Wastebusters' shares, appoint the company directors and set long-term guiding principles to ensure the company stayed true to Wastebusters' original values, Ms Coutts said.
''The society will also have the power to make new things happen. It creates a bigger umbrella for them. In theory it's possible to create a whole range of enterprises like Wastebusters.
''The change of governance could lead to the creation of other social enterprises involving community energy or food, or ''any of the other things that might help to make our community more sustainable''.
About 25 people attended this week's meeting, including several members of the original society formed in 1999. The structural changes take effect on July 1.
