QLDC waste manager said the council accepted the risk of having more illegally dumped rubbish littering the countryside as a trade-off for having to increase landfill levies.
He told the Wanaka Community Board yesterday the price hikes were partly due to having to a $10 per tonne government-imposed levy.
However, the QLDC has also slapped a $36 per tonne levy increase on the public for dumping at council landfill transfer stations at Wanaka and Frankton, and the Victoria Flat landfill.
The money raised would be used to fund waste-minimisation initiatives, Mr Borowy said.
Existing initiatives include the council's recycling and waste-education strategies. Levies would also help subsidise programmes, such as promoting the use of worm farms, compost and green waste drop-off stations.
"[The levy] is a mechanism to promote behaviour change and reduce waste," he said.
A campaign calling for the public to report incidents involving illegal rubbish-dumpers is expected to accompany the landfill levy hike. People should contact the council if they saw anyone dumping rubbish illegally, he said.
QLDC chief executive Duncan Field said the council also wanted to try to reduce the amount of construction and demolition waste being dumped as large, one-off deliveries to transfer stations.
Much of the construction and demolition waste - such as concrete, plasterboard, wood, metal, brick and soil - could often be reduced, re-used, or recovered, he told board members.
About 14% per annum of the district's total waste tonnage is made up of construction and demolition waste.
"That's a very large amount being sent to landfill," Mr Borowy said.
He said the council intended to hold workshops to help inform builders, architects, contractors, haulage operators and recyclers about ways to minimise their waste and reduce their reliance on dumping straight to landfill.
Talking rubbish
Five questions to help lower your waste bill:
• Do you need to buy that packaging?
• Do you need that plastic bag?
• Can you compost your food or green waste?
• Can you reduce building waste?
• Can it go to the recycling centre?
