A waste and recycling report released by the Otago Mayoral Forum makes for sober reading according to the forum’s chair Tim Cadogan.

Tim says the forum is sharing the report to draw attention to waste issues and provide information for the community to better understand how to address them.

“This is not just about councils and organisations,” Tim said. 

“I was concerned to read, just as one example, that an estimated 55 percent of kerbside rubbish going to Otago’s landfills is organic material and most of this is food waste. 

“We all need to do better.”

The report documents waste and recycling infrastructure, volumes and activity providing a region-wide viewpoint that Tim says paves the way to a more coordinated approach to managing waste across Otago.

“We need to work together to reduce waste in Otago, and this report is a step on that pathway,” he said.

The report says Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) last reviewed its Waste Minimisation and Management Plan (WMMP) in 2018 and completed a Waste Assessment in 2019.

The WMMP highlighted that large quantities of organic, glass, and construction and demolition waste were going to landfill.

Since adopting the WMMP the Queenstown materials recovery facility (MRF) is beyond its anticipated life and is currently struggling to cope with incoming recyclables from the district.

QLDC has identified a site near Queenstown that could potentially accommodate a new MRF and is exploring the consenting and site requirements.

The report says the district also lacks a full facility resource recovery park with Wānaka Wastebusters lacking the space and resources to serve the wider region.

“We trust you will find useful information in this report, and encourage you to have conversations with your council, within organisations and with each other about how we can collectively improve Otago’s waste management,” Tim said.

Later in 2022 the forum will explore how councils can collaborate on waste management, with an initial focus on organic waste, and construction and demolition waste.

Copies of the report can be obtained by emailing [email protected].

The Otago Mayoral Forum is comprised of Otago’s five mayors, the chair of the Otago Regional Council, and the territorial authorities’ chief executives. The forum’s role is to enable communication and coordination across the region, paving the way for councils to work together on issues of shared importance.

PHOTO: Supplied