Decision on Auckland’s fortnightly rubbish collections to be made

“This benefits all Aucklanders because landfills are harmful to the planet and produce emissions, and they take up land that Aucklanders could better use for recreation and living.”

She said Aucklanders had already seen the effects of climate change from last year’s extreme weather events, and the zero waste initiative helped reduce harmful emissions.

“Zero waste measures help protect Auckland’s natural environment, including the parks, beaches and unique landscapes that Aucklanders love. We live in a beautiful region and together we can work to keep it that way and ensure we protect it for future generations.”

Manurewa-Papakura councillor Daniel Newman opposed the proposal from the outset.

He said it was not what all Aucklanders wanted and for his constituents, moving the rubbish service to a fortnightly service would be a disservice to hard-working South Auckland residents.

“I’m in favour of doing something useful to reduce our carbon footprint, but I’m absolutely not in favour of inconveniencing working families in south Auckland who need weekly rubbish service,” Newman said.

“I will prioritize the convenience of my constituents over theoretical debates about the services they need.”

However, Mr Harveys said fortnightly collections meant working families had to put out one less bin each week, and research showed that overall the amount of waste going into the red bin was decreasing.

She said Aucklanders were getting better at sorting their rubbish, and with large recycling bins, food scraps and inorganic waste collections, now was the right time to move to fortnightly collections.

“Aucklanders are ready to help us achieve our goal of zero waste in Auckland through their actions.”

She said the council was doing its part to achieve zero waste and asked Aucklanders to do the same.

“For larger households who struggle to reduce their waste despite our various waste sorting options, we do provide larger bins, but these households will incur a slightly higher rate, around $2.20 per week.”

Support is also available for households with different needs, with three sizes of bins available for a small additional fee, as well as an extra weekly food scraps bin if required.

Council staff are currently making final recommendations on the proposed changes based on feedback from elected members.

Elected members will discuss the recommendations at Planning, Environment and Parks Committee meetings and have the option of proposing amendments.

“After this process, we will make a decision.”

If the vote passes, the change is unlikely to take effect before 2026.

The Commission will need to determine the price of a fortnightly rather than weekly collection service, based on market conditions.

LDR is a local news organisation jointly funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.