Wastebusters has put together a proposal to expand its services and is seeking the Queenstown Lakes District Council’s stamp of approval as it applies for $9m from the Ministry of Environment’s waste minimisation fund.
During this week’s monthly meeting of the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board, Wastebusters presented its proposal and was met with passionate support from all members.
The town’s recycling centre has been operating for 25 years on just over 9000sq m and is now looking to future-proof its operation.
General manager Gina Dempster said the hub was wanting to get its hands on 32,230sq m of land right next to the facility on Ballantyne Rd.
The land being requested is part of 8ha which had been purchased by the council in 2023 for waste-related purposes.
Ms Dempster said the organisation was under time pressure as the fund needed to be applied for by November this year.
In order to complete the application, it needed support from the QLDC on the letter of intent which outlines its intentions.
"It’s just that council timeframes move much more slowly than Wastebusters," she said.
"They’ve also got a lot of pieces of their puzzle because they’ve got to think about the Wānaka transfer station and the MRF [materials recovery facility]."
The council is in the process of looking to expand the transfer station which is neighbouring Wastebusters.
The expansion would be on the same 8ha of land, but the organisation’s proposal showed there was enough room for both to grow.
The community board gave its backing during the meeting saying council support for the proposal was a no-brainer.
Chairman Simon Telfer felt failure by the council to back this project would be "environmental vandalism".
"It’s a letter of intent, it’s not signing a lease," he said.
There was a strong focus on the community-focused environmental benefits the facility had generated for over two decades.
As part of their presentation, the organisation estimated that over the 2023-24 financial year about 1400 tonnes of materials had been diverted.
This includes 850 tonnes of materials being recycled, five tonnes being repaired and a combined total of 550 tonnes going to the retail and yard space.
"I’m really struggling to see why this is an issue with the letter of intent from council ... this is the definition of a community service," board member John Wellington said.
Wastebusters will request approval from the QLDC during the full council meeting on October 9.
The application for ministry funding is due on November 6.
