Section 6: Council Activities

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Solid Waste and Refuse Collection

Responsibility

Brent Manning (Manager Water and Wastes)

Description of service

The solid waste activities of the Council include both the municipal refuse collection and recycling services funded by targeted rate to specified properties and solid waste handling facilities to the public and region as summarised below:

Provision of a refuse collection and recycling service to residences and schools within designated areas (currently city and township residential).
Provision and operation of transfer stations for the handling of non-hazardous solid wastes, both directly and in conjunction with the private sector.
Provision to receive domestic hazardous waste with acceptable environmental disposal or re-use.
Provision of a regional landfill to dispose of solid waste from the Taranaki region to an environmentally acceptable standard.
Community education and working with businesses and all customers to encourage waste minimisation.

Scale of service

This describes the size and scope of the activity.

Weekly pick-up from 25,170 households (2008).
Collection of 12,000 tonnes per year of household kerbside refuse.
Collection of 1,400 tonnes per year of household kerbside recycling.
Five transfer stations (New Plymouth, Inglewood, Okato, Waitara and Tongaporutu).
One regional landfill (Colson Rd), with Inglewood landfill available for emergency landfilling.
60,000 tonnes per year buried in landfills (2008).
$7 million asset replacement value.
95 per cent of population within 20 minutes drive of recycling facilities or provided with a regular kerbside collection.
Available capacity for a further 478,000 tonnes of solid waste into Colson Rd landfill.

Rationale for activity

To ensure that household and business solid waste is collected and disposed of without significant environmental and health impacts, the Council acts as a:

Funder (of collection and recycling services)
This is achieved through contracts with waste collection and recycling contractors or agents which make waste disposal simple and convenient for households, thus encouraging responsible disposal behaviour.
Service provider and facilitator (in providing and operating transfer stations and landfills)
The potential effects on the environment and community are such that the Council has ensured these services are provided with a mix of public and private sector resources to protect public and environmental health.
Educator (through part funding of selected Taranaki Regional Council sponsored waste minimisation initiatives and a staff resource, as well as carrying out various education programmes)
This is aimed at promoting responsible community behaviour through correct disposal of wastes and use of recycling facilities to minimise waste to landfill.
Regulator (through the Solid Waste Bylaw and the Health Act)
This acts as a last resort option when individuals or businesses refuse to carry out responsible solid waste disposal.
Solid waste activities contribute greatly to the community well-beings, in particular to the environmental well-being. They ensure the effective management of solid waste by minimising pollution and educating the public about waste issues. Return to top

Contribution to Community Outcomes

How solid waste collection, recycling, or disposal, is managed is fundamental to life in the community, if the district is to prosper while preserving the natural environment which is the foundation of the Taranaki lifestyle. The community’s concern for both prosperity and the sustainability of the human and natural environment is evident in the number of Community Outcomes affected by solid waste management.

The Solid Waste disposal function primarily contributes to the Sustainable Community Outcome by preventing pollution and collecting an containing waste in sealed landfill sites. Solid Waste disposal also makes a significant contribution to the Prosperous and Secure and Healthy Community Outcomes.

Sustainable

A district that appreciates its natural environment and its physical and human resources in planning, delivery and protection.

SU1 There is sustainable use, development and protection of resources.

SU2 Taranaki’s land and soil, water, air and coast, its biodiversity and its natural features and landscapes are understood, valued, maintained and enhanced for future generations.

SU7 Sustainable development is encouraged.

Negative impacts on community well-being

The disposal of wastes in sanitary landfills releases carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. These are both greenhouse gases. Compostable green waste, which is the source of much of these emissions, can be used to form compost, reducing the amount of carbon released back into the atmosphere. The environmental impact of landfills is minimised by compacting and covering waste quickly so that it is not does not release excessive odour or attract animal pests. Leachate from the Colson Rd landfill is piped to and treated at the New Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant, with only clean stormwater being discharged to the environment.

Landfill gas emissions may also be captured by gas recovery systems and reused or alternatively flared to reduce environmental impact.

All consented landfills are subject to specified conditions under resource consents issued under the Resource Management Act. Landfills are subject to regular monitoring to demonstrate compliance with these conditions.

Facing the challenges – assumptions and risks

The Waste Minimisation Act 2008 places increased obligations on the Council and includes the introduction of a $10 per tonne waste levy with effect from 1 July 2009.

The Climate Change Response Act 2008, passed into law in September 2008 but with implementation being delayed by a change in government, has implications for greenhouse gas emissions from the Colson Rd landfill. While the outcome of the government’s review of the emissions tax is unknown, it could reasonably be expected that there will continue to be implications for the operation of the Colson Rd landfill. The Council is currently investigating alternatives to reduce or harness and reuse greenhouse gas emissions from landfill.

Assumptions

The Colson Rd Landfill will service the entire Taranaki region for the next five to 10 years.
Waste volumes per capita will decrease through waste minimisation initiatives, however total quantity is forecast to be capped (at 65,000 tonnes per annum) due to regional population growth.
Recycling volumes will increase with increased population and education.

Risks

A major risk is the failure, loss of or temporary unavailability of the Colson Rd Landfill for an extended period, which would require an alternative site for solid waste disposal.Return to top

Another risk is that waste volumes increase per capita, despite Regional Waste Strategy initiatives, placing extraordinary demand on the solid waste management system. Current projections assuming a 10 per cent increase in total waste volumes (on 2007/08 levels) would give a remaining usable life for Colson Rd landfill of five and a half years. If total waste volumes remain at 2007/08 levels then that life is extended to eight years. If as a result of various waste minimisation measures (including the introduction of a new statute) volumes to landfill reduce, then that life can be further extended.

Managing risks

Temporary failure, loss or unavailability of the Colson Rd Landfill can be mitigated by maintaining the Inglewood Landfill as a contingency landfill.

The risk of increased waste volumes can be managed by public education programmes. Historically this has been done by partly funding a Waste Minimisation Officer based at Taranaki Regional Council. The passing of the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 and associated introduction of a government imposed waste levy will further raise awareness of solid waste issues and may result in reduced volumes to landfill.

Levels of service and performance measures

The following levels of service and performance measures outline the objectives we will set and how we will measure our progress.

Levels of service and performance measures

Asset information

Assets required

The diagram below represents those infrastructural assets both currently employed and planned to be
incorporated in service delivery for the solid waste activity area.

Managing improved and/or expanded services

The Council resolved, after extensive public consultation, to not alter or extend its current levels of service for refuse collection (from those in place in 2008/2009).

It is also planned that the Colson Rd landfill will receive all of the Taranaki region’s disposable solid waste until its capacity is reached, by which time a new regional landfill facility, near Eltham, is to be provided by South Taranaki District Council. This is the subject of a Regional Waste Agreement, which guarantees mutual access by all parties to the regional landfill (provided certain terms are met).

The Colson Rd landfill is to be expanded by capital funded development of an additional ‘lift’ to expand capacity to provide the required further 478,000 tonnes and to maximise the life of the landfill.

The Council has considered changes to the level of service it offers for its rubbish and recycling collections. Any changes, which include an expanded service into some rural areas, will be funded through Council targeted rates, but the service will be provided under contract by private sector operators. There is, therefore no significant impact on current Council assets. Nor is there a requirement for new assets, other than the regional landfill noted above, and the possibility of a relocation of the Okato Transfer Station in the Oakura/Okato area (subject to identification and purchase of/or access to a suitable site, in which case it is envisaged that the Council would relinquish ownership of the current Okato site).Return to top

Funding

Solid waste activities are funded by:

An annual service charge for kerbside refuse and recycling collection. This is based on a weekly average expected maximum household disposal volume of 60 litres (or 20 kilograms). If the service is not available, no charge is levied on that property.
Prepaid stickers for collection of additional bags of rubbish for kerbside collection and on designated routes that do not have the option of kerbside collection.
User charges for solid waste disposal at transfer stations and/or landfills. These are set to recover costs of disposal and to promote green waste and recyclables diversion away from the landfill and to reuse and recycling.

The cost of all fees and charges above is set to rise to cover the additional government imposed cost of the waste levy.

New or improved physical assets are normally funded via loans in order to spread the costs over the asset’s life. This means that different people using the asset in different time periods all make a contribution to its costs.

The Colson Rd landfill capital development will be funded from accumulated capital development reserves (pegged for this purpose) while the ongoing aftercare costs after closure of the landfill will be similarly funded through an accumulated aftercare fund.

Funds for the renewal and replacement of assets come from the activity’s operating revenue and are accumulated to pay for these expenses as needed to maintain the assets ability to continue providing the agreed level of service.

Managing change

Over the next 10-years demand for services is expected to increase from:

Non-serviced customers (rural and commercial businesses).
Existing customers – for higher levels of service, e.g. green waste collection.

The needs and levels of service to be provided will be determined via the Community Plan consultation process, with any changes to be funded through user charges. Further consideration of the potential changes to levels of service is in section one of this plan.

Waste Management and Minimisation Plan

New Plymouth District Council has in effect a Waste Management Plan adopted in 2005 under Part 31 of the Local Government Act 1974 which is consistent with the National and Regional Waste Strategies. Section 43 of the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 allows for the existing Waste Management Plan to be treated as compliant with the Act, which will be subject to review no later than 1 July 2012. It is intended to jointly produce a Waste Management and Minimisation Plan between all three territorial authorities within Taranaki before the 2012 timeframe, in accordance with the requirements of the Act. This plan will reflect the status of the regional landfill and cover such facets of waste minimisation as reduction, re-use, recycling, recovery, treatment, transport and disposal of waste within the region.

Maintenance, renewal and replacement of assets

The waste collection and disposal is managed by Council staff with operational (e.g. kerbside collection) and maintenance activities undertaken by external contractors.

The Okato transfer station opened in 2005 at the landfill site. The landfill itself now only accepts clean fill. Identification of a new transfer station in the Oakura/Okato locality within the 10 year plan is desirable to replace the existing Okato site.

The Inglewood transfer station opened in 2006 at the landfill site. The landfill itself now only accepts clean fill. The Inglewood Landfill is retained as an emergency disposal facility should Colson Rd Landfill be required to be temporarily closed during its remaining operating life.

The Colson Rd Landfill has a forecast remaining life of between five and 10 years depending upon the tonnages disposed there per annum.

The Colson Rd transfer station (on land leased from the Crown) is operated privately under a 15 year lease (expiring in 2016) facilitated by the council. The current lessee has a right of purchase on expiry of the lease.