Refuse- fees fail to cover costs

Press, 27 April 1983, Page 6

Refuse- fees fail to cover costs

Under half the running costs of the Metro Refuse Station in Parkhouse Road, Sockburn, are being recovered in entry charges. The station’s average monthly income from charges is $24,000. Its running costs average $54,000 a month. These figures were presented yesterday to the annual meeting of the Metropolitan Refuse Disposal Committee by its chairman, Mr I. G. Clark (Waimairi District Council). Mr Clark said the station’s income would be boosted if more commercial users dumped there. It was being under-cut by lower entry charges at privately owned dump s. Cr R. S. Lester (Riccarton Borough Council) questioned the station’s resource recovery. Resource recovery at the station was more profitable than refuse disposal, said Cr D. C. Close (Christchurch City Council). Recycling was recovering 52 per cent of its costs, compared with 44 per cent for refuse disposal. *A profit from resource recovery was unlikely except on occasional months, said Cr Clark. Losses could be kept to a reasonable level by minimum staffing and sparing use of plant hire. The station’s attraction over conventional dumps was reflected in increasing use by the private sector, said Cr Clark. Use by local authorities had risen slightly. To combat “disappointing” commercial business, firms had been questioned by the project engineer, Mr A. C. Vogan. Cr Clark said, “Contractors find it cheaper to dump 1 where charges are based on size of track rather than the actual weight carried, as at the Metro station.” To flower the Metro’s

charges would . merely create a bigger deficit. Estimates A provisional estimate of expenditure for 1983-1984 of $4,228,264 was accepted by the committee. Much of the money will be spent on capital works, $2.56 million being budgeted for building of the eastern transfer station in Dyers Road, Bromley. The station’s total cost is estimated at $3.8 million. An extra $50,000 was added to the eastern station’s budget at the instigation of Cr Close. He said the money should be set aside for a building for recycling work. If the station was to open as planned in June, 1984, the recycling centre should be started this financial year to be ready on time. Cr H. A. Clark (Christchurch City Council) supported the provision of recycling facilities. The City Council’s Bexley tip has its own resourcerecovery facilities but the tip will be closed to the public when the eastern station opens. Cr Close said he hoped the landfill site at Waimairi Beach would open at the same time as the eastern station. Compacted rubbish from the transfer station would be taken to the landfill. If the landfill site was not open, Cr Close said, the committee would have to carry the eastern station’s landfill a mile along the road to Bexley.

The coming year’s budget for the landfill site is $740,000, including $530,000 for access reading. Cr Close asked if enough money had been set aside for reading. Mr Vogan said the $530,000 was part of an estimate totalling $1.2 million for work durinftseveral years. U

A total of $48,700 will be spent to improve the Metro station and planning for the controversial northern station in Redwood will take $60,000. A sum of $15,000 has been set aside for a Planning Tribunal rehearing of the siting of the northern station. Administration and running costs were estimated at $745,564. Of that amount, resource recovery would take $47,919. Last year, $38,894 was spent, $12,241 less than allocated. Levies from the five contributing councils will supply $1.67 million of the committee’s income.

The City Council will supply 59 per cent of levies; Waimairi District Council, 25 per cent; Paparua County Council, 9 per cent; Heathcote County Council, 3 per cent; and Riccarton Borough Council, 2 per cent. Returns from the Metro transfer station will bring in $280,000 and it is estimated that profits from resource recovery will be $24,000. Last financial year, transfer station income was $254,843 and resource recovery returns, $22,292. Other income will be from investments and loans totalling $456,888.

An amount of $30,424, outstanding as a levy from the Kaiapoi Borough Council, which withdrew from the committee last year, has been included as estimated income,