Waste management complex and costly

A REVIEW of the Waste Management Plan for the Manawatu District could conceivably become council’s biggest single cost in years to come, Mayor Ian McKelvie said at the Makino Rotary Club’s “Mayoral Breakfast” on Tuesday.

About 60 people assembled at the Feilding Golf Club for Mr McKelvie’s “State of the Manawatu” address in which he ranked waste management as one of three major challenges facing council over the next year - alongside the district-Palmerston North relationship and the upcoming District Plan review.
Mr McKelvie said the waste management review was a complex and difficult task and one that had considerable public interest and risk. It covered both solid waste and sewerage and was an area where council had most contact with Horizons Regional Council.

“Recently, Horizons reacted to some comments made by a couple of my councillors over the costs of the Feilding Sewerage Treatment Plant upgrade, and while I thought their response was unhelpful, it is necessary to have a level of tension between us over these types of issues as we both want the best result for our ratepayers.”

He said Horizons wanted the best level of environmental standard achievable, as did council, who would also be striving to achieve it in an affordable and fiscally sustainable manner. In other words, there were different drivers in play.

Rubbish was becoming an emotional matter for many in the community and he included himself in this issue after being charged $45 to dump some 65-year-old carpet at the transfer station. He doubted the carpet cost that much when new!

“Many in our community are very diligent recyclers and for this to grow it will cost us money – a lot of money. While I fully support the activity, we need to work out who pays and what they pay.”

Mr McKelvie said he made no apology for the cost of upgrading sewerage treatment plants, as it was essential that if the community was to have the privilege of discharging this effluent to the waterways it must add value – not detract from those values.

“The discussion around rubbish, however, is much more critical and will need a lot of careful thought as it is becoming very expensive for us all.”

Mr McKelvie said the deterioration in the economic climate in New Zealand did not really hit home until council had completed its Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) and consequently was not as hard on cutbacks as it may have been.

“Since that time, we have asked the Chief Executive’s (Lorraine Vincent) team to make as many savings as possible in order that we may lessen the impact next year. This will happen, and other than exceptional circumstances around water, rubbish and waste water or the unknown, there will be no increase in budgets for next year,” he said.