Rubbish charge reduced

Press, 27 May 1981, Page 6

Rubbish charge reduced

Private users of the new Metro Refuse Station in Parkhouse - Road. Sockburn, will be able to dump at a reduced charge if they have recyclable material in their loads.

At its meeting yesterday the Metropolitan Refuse Committee considered a number of housekeeping matters in readiness for the opening next month of the first of Christchurch's three refuse stations. The committee decided yesterday that drivers of light vehicles with a quarter-load or more of recyclable material will receive a half-price concession for the dumping of the rest of the load. Drivers with commercial, local authority, and Government loads will dump recyclables free and the rest of the load will be charged according to the weight. Dumping charges at the new. tip are; cars. 50c; station waggons and hatchbacks, $1: panel vans, pick ups, and small private trailers. $2.50. No charge will apply to

vehicles carrying a full load of recyclable material.

Drivers of light vehicles who dump at the Resource Recovery building will be issued with a plastic token to obtain their half-price concession for dumping of the rest of the load. To obtain the concession the material has to be presorted and “cleaned of any offensive material.” Only recyclable material which can be “economically marketed” will be accepted.

The committee will review the system at its September meeting. It will also consider after six months of the opening whether commercial vehicles should be eligible, for the concession.

The resource recovery subcommittee had originally recommended that only recyclable material which could be marketed would be accepted but the word, “economically.” was inserted when doubts were expressed about the viability; of the resourcee recovery at the refuse station. &

Cr I. G. Clark. of Waimairi. said that sometimes recyclable material would not necessarily be worth the concession granted. 'Cr D. C. Close, of Christchurch, said that it was inevitable that there would be a loss on some things, but gains on others. Cr G. D. Stanley,- of Christchurch said that the public had to be. given some incentive to presort and clean loads of recyclable material. The sub-committee recommended that the,half-charge concession should also apply to full loads of clean garden waste. This has been referred back to the sub-committee for elaboration after it was asked whether this would apply to commercial contractors as well. The charge for Ibcal-body vehicles is still undecided. The finance sub-committee has been given the power to act on this. •’ - • ' , The charge for commer-

cial contractors will be $8 a .tonne with a minimum Charge of $5. This will be reviewed after six months. The Canterbury Rubbish Contractors' Association wanted the charge to be $l2 a tonne, with part loads to be charged accordingly.

The committee's chairman, Cr H. A. Clark, said that the contractors felt this would be better than facing too many increased charges in the future.

The Waimairi County Engineer. Mr A. J. W. Lamb, said that if the charges at the new station were too high, people would go to a nearby private tip. The contractors had based their submissions on charges levied at the Waimairi and Bexley tips. The Metro Refuse Station will open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 pm. at weekends. It will close on Good Friday, Christmas Day. and. New .Year's Day. The committee will review the hours in September.