Section 3: Council Activities

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Solid Waste and Refuse Collection

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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.
Consider provision of a green waste kerbside collection service in addition to existing collection service (subject to funding - see assumptions).

Scale of service

This describes the size and scope of the activity.

Weekly pick-up from 25,693 households (2010) with the potential to increase to 26,000 households with the possible extension to the Tikorangi area.
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.
Up to 65,000 tonnes per year buried in landfills.
$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 405,000 tonnes of solid waste into Colson Road 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.

Contribution to Community Outcomes

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.

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 and 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 does not release excessive odour or attract animal pests. Leachate from the Colson Road 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 placed increasing obligations on the Council and included the introduction of a $10 per tonne waste levy which came into effect on
1 July 2009 and continues to date.

The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) creates obligations to limit greenhouse gas emissions for a wide range of activities in NZ, including some activities undertaken by local government.

The ETS is going to have financial implications for future Council budgets. From 2010/11 an annual stepped increase in landfill charges is proposed to cover the future cost of complying with the ETS for Colson Road landfill. However the Council has included an estimated cost for ETS for solid waste of $0.5 to $1.0 million per annum from 2012/13.

Assumptions

The Colson Road 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.
Funding is to be sought from the national waste minimisation fund for possible introduction of a green waste collection service.

Risks

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

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 Road landfill of five years. If total waste volumes remain at current 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 Road 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.

Monies are now available from the nationally collected waste levies for funding of studies, projects and services which will make a positive contribution to waste minimisation. The Council intends to seek and use such funding for this purpose.

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.

Service objective	Related Community Outcome(s)	Performance measures	Performance targets
Service objective	Related Community Outcome(s)	Performance measures	2010/11	2011/12
Waste volumes to landfill are minimised.	Sustainable 1 & 7	Total quantity disposed to landfill, measured in tonnes, from New Plymouth District on an annualised basis.	Not to exceed 50,000 tonnes	Not to exceed 50,000 tonnes
Waste is managed on a regional wide basis and in accordance with the Regional Waste Strategy.	Sustainable 1 & 7	Inclusion of solid waste streams from South Taranaki and Stratford district areas, to be disposed of at Colson Rd, as their local landfills reach capacity.	Not to exceed 15,000 tonnes	Not to exceed 15,000 tonnes
Development and population growth in the district is supported but managed in a way that does not compromise the environment.	Prosperous 5 Sustainable 1 & 7	A growing proportion of household and business waste is recycled, as measured by tonnage recycled as a percentage of total waste collected (New Plymouth District only).	19%	20%
Well-being of New Plymouth District residents and visitors is maintained, enhanced, promoted and protected.	Secure and Healthy 2	Serviced population receiving a kerbside collection service measured as a proportion of the total population of the district.	80%	80%
There is sustainable use, development and protection of resources.	Sustainable 1, 6 & 7	Percentage of households that receive kerbside collection who also actively participate in kerbside recycling.	93%	94%
Reputation of New Plymouth District is enhanced as a leader in environmental and sustainable management practices.	Sustainable 1	Serviced residents’ satisfaction, measured by the percentage who are satisfied with the refuse collection and solid waste disposal services as measured in comparison with an average of similar sized, or “peer” local authorities (NRB Survey).	Exceeds peer group average (including ‘don’t know’ responses)	Exceeds peer group average (including ‘don’t know’ responses)
Sustainable development is encouraged.	Sustainable 1, 2 & 7	Conditions of resource consents, as determined and monitored by Taranaki Regional Council, are 100% complied with.	Achieved	Achieved
Customers can request a change to levels of service delivered to them.	Sustainable 7	Consultation process carried out and service levels determined.	Consultation undertaken and service levels determined	Consultation undertaken and service levels determined

FINANCIAL PLAN	LTCCP 2011/12 ($000)	Budget 2011/12 ($000)
OPERATIONS
Activity expenditure
Refuse collection	1,608	1,597
Solid waste disposal	2,499	2,470
Total activity expenditure	4,107	4,067

Activity revenue
Refuse collection	(465)	(477)
Solid waste disposal	(3,515)	(3,963)
Total activity revenue	(3,980)	(4,440)

Net cost of operations	127	(373)

Appropriations and reserves
Depreciation unfunded/deferred	(203)	(220)
Transfer to reserves	1,218	1,713
Total appropriations and reserves	1,015	1,493

RATES REQUIREMENT FOR OPERATIONS	1,142	1,120

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE
Total renewals	16	10
Total improvements	341	324
Total loan repayments	0	115
Total capital expenditure	357	449

Total capital funding	0	0

Net cost of capital activities	357	449

Appropriations and reserves
Transfer from depreciation reserves	(16)	(10)
Transfer from other reserves	(341)	(382)
Total appropriations and reserves	(357)	(392)

FUNDING REQUIREMENT FOR CAPITAL	0	57

RATES AND FUNDING REQUIREMENT
Rates requirement for operations	1,142	1,120
Funding requirement for capital	0	57
TOTAL RATES AND FUNDING REQUIREMENT	1,142	1,177