Miniskips available in city

Press, 6 March 1987, Page 7

Miniskips available in city

A rubbish-disposal service proven to be popular in Australia and the North Island has an official launch in Christchurch today. The arrival of Miniskips, New Zealand, Limited locally follows rapidly on the nation-wide establishment of the company in 1986. According to South Island manager, Mr Ross Nevin, if the patterns established by the originators of the idea overseas are followed the company should enjoy explosive growth. Miniskips was started in Australia in 1985 when two marketing specialists identified a void in the rubbish-disposal market that showed potential. To exploit this opportunity the duo formed a company offering consumers a small rubbishcollecting unit delivered,

and collected, by a small truck. Their initial outlay of sAustl.s million was to mushroom into a business valued at sAustlOO million within the first eighteen months of operation. In 1986, a local Miniskips company was established as a completely New Zealand-owned enterprise. It has its own listing on the share market, with a company structure stressing autonomy for local operators. The administrative centre for the national company is located in Auckland, with the South Island headquarters at 185 Wordsworth Street, Christchurch. The newly-formed company got its national start in Tauranga, followed by the Auckland division which was operational by December 1, 1986.

Offices were then established in Wellington and Christchurch. The miniskips units have been designed to provide a capacity for rubbish that matches average needs. Each miniskip can carry the equivalent of three trailer loads of rubbish, or 16 old-style bin loads, or 21 wheelbarrows. The relatively low height of the unit and the 2 cubic metre capacity make it easy to fill for the average householder or business owner. The average daily hire rate for the miniskip unit itself is $55 per day, with filling fees set according to the weight of the material to be dumped. “While this hire charge might at first glance seem high it is a clean, tidy removal process that causes very little disrup-

tion,” Mr Nevin said. “Users save on dumping fees, trailer hire and vehicle wear and tear, plus save a good amount of leisure time which as we all know is now at a premium.” To get a miniskip delivered to a home or business customers, should telephone the Wordsworth Street central office on 66-636. This telephone is staffed from 7.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. weekdays and from 7.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. According to Mr Nevin at present consumers wishing to get a miniskip should telephone at least half a day ahead of their intended time of use. Once the initial curiosity about the new service abates he expects the response time to be shortened down to within an hour.