Rubbish station decision postponed again

Press, 22 September 1984, Page 9

Rubbish station decision postponed again

The future of Christchurch’s proposed third rubbish transfer station is in abeyance in spite of approval in a recently released cost-benefit study. At a special meeting of the Christchurch Metropolitan Refuse Disposal Committee yesterday a move to proceed immediately with a northern transfer station was narrowly defeated. Instead the committee agreed to receive the final report of the cost-benefit study, and asked its officers to report on the recommendations it outlined in the light of the running of the eastern transfer station, which opens in Ruru Road, Bromley, today. The officers will report to the December cojnmittee 4 meeting.

The northern station would be the final stage in a long planned metropolitan rubbish scheme which includes the western station in Parkhouse Road, Sockburn, the eastern station, and a landfill site at Waimairi Beach. Most landfill is compacted at the transfer stations, to which local body refuse vehicles and the public have access. The committee has debated at length about the need for a third station. Last December it decided that the future of the prepared northern station in Styx Mill Road would de-, pend on the outcome of a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis. The final report ctf the analysis was completed re-

cently and discussed by the committee for the first time yesterday. Recommendations of the analysis included: © Proceeding with the northern station.

® Meeting its capital cost and running charges from increased user charges. • Reviewing the basis of the scheme’s user charges to ensure a more equitable distribution of costs.

• Taking urgent steps to reduce littering on. the approaches to the western station in Parkhouse Road and minimising potential littering near Ruru road. The committee has already invested more than 57 million (1982/82 prices) in building two stations, planning the third and opening the landfill site.

The analysis estimated that the. third station would cost 52 million and its annual running costs would add nearly 50 per cent to the committee’s annual expenditure. The savings in transport costs for users of the stations would justify a third station, said a research economist, Mr N. L. Macbeth. If the northern station was not built the capacity of the eastern and western stations would need to be increased to cope with a predicted increase in rubbish for the scheme’s planning period, to 2006, he said. Consideration had been given to the effect of devaluation on the costs-bene-f&rof the proposal, in partifclar increased fuel costs,

said Mr Macbeth. The analysis was also sensitive to the changes in interest rates for loans.

Some committee members said they were concerned about how much the user would have to pay for the facility. Cr G. L. Freeman (Waimairi District Council) said the committee would face public resistance if prices increased too much.

Mr Macbeth said that charges to users would have to be increased about 15 per cent to cover building and running costs. The increases would be offset, however, by shorter travelling time and reduced queues and waiting time for many users.

Recent increases of 33 to 50 per cent at

station had not deterred users, he said. Cr D. C. Close (Christchurch City Council) said it had to be recognised that the new system was cleaner and better and more expensive than an open pit system.

He recommended that the northern transfer decision be made after a report by staff on the analysis and the running of the eastern station. The decision should be made by February, he suggested. The Waimairi district engineer, Mr A. J. W. Lamb, emphasised the urgency of a decision as Planning Tribunal consent to use the Styx Mill Road site for the station would expire in October, 1985. Cr E. C. Britnell (Paparua

County Council) said, “we have had innumerable reports regarding the northern transfer station” with all coming out in favour of it. The committee wanted the cost-benefit analysis to finalise the matter and because it suggests that the northern transfer station is the best option, we want to shelve it and and do nothing about it till December.

The report had been made by experienced economists, he said. “We should adopt it and move to build this third station.”

It would be irresponsible for the committee to adopt any other move, he said.

Cr Britnell’s motion to proceed immediately with the northern transfer station wag" lost by one vote.