Simpler Dump Charges Proposed

The days of estimating how many cubic metres of waste you have to dump could be gone, with plans to replace existing fees with a “simpler and clearer price structure”.

At a meeting last week, Nelson City councillors agreed to send a new pricing structure out for public consultation.

But, while councillors agreed to seek public feedback, some expressed concerns the new structure could end up costing users more to dump their waste.

Under the current fee structure, the cost of taking waste to the Nelson Waste Recovery Centre is based on an estimate of the cubic metres of waste being dumped.

For example, a car boot of rubbish up to 0.5m³ costs $54. From there the price goes up as the amount of waste increase – 0.5m³ to 1m³ costs $107, while 1.5 to 2m³ costs $213. Any waste above 2m³ is charged at $107 per cubic metre.

Green waste is similarly charged, but starts at $27 for a boot load.

Now, the council is proposing to take the guess work away, and introduce a standardised system based on the size of the vehicle being used.

For rubbish, a car boot – or wool bale – will remain $54, while a single cab ute would cost $163.

A double cab ute, station wagon or large (flat) trailer would be $136 while a 6 foot by 3 foot trailer (flat) would cost $95 to dump.

Anything above those measurements would cost $136 per cubic metre.

Green waste will use the same measurements, but at lower prices.

In a report to councillors, staff said the changes created “a simpler and clearer price structure that will be easier to understand and apply”.

“These new fees will be easier for kiosk staff to apply consistency and are more accurate price points which will generate the necessary revenue to offset the proposed increase in the landfill gate fee,” the report said.

Under questioning from mayor Nick Smith during the meeting, staff said it would be about a 10% increase in revenue.

But, they said the new system would also lead to people being charged more accurately, as currently people could be under or over charged.

“We’ve changed to a system where everyone is charged consistently by quantifiable measurements where previously there was an estimate of it’s a metre or a half a metre.”

During the debate, Smith said he was open to the charges going out for feedback, but he was concerned at the overall increase, although he noted the most commonly used amount – the boot load – was remaining constant.

“I do think the current system is quite confusing. However, I am concerned at the scale of the increase. The per cubic meter charge, an increase of 27%, is quite high … I worry that we get to the point where people start dumping their rubbish which imposes far greater costs.”

When the feedback came back to the council for decision there would need to be “quite a lot of scrutiny” of the charges, he said.

Those comments were backed by councillor Tim Skinner, who said people could be better off driving to the transfer station in Rai Valley.

“I’m horrified by the costs … we do really need to relook at this and really pull it apart because this is getting just out of hand.”

But, councillor Kahu Paki Paki suggested higher prices could be a way to force people to change their habits around waste.

He pointed to Japan as a country where the cost of disposing of rubbish was so expensive it had forced people to change their behaviour.

“This is a really good lesson to not simply just sit there and go, it’s not fair, it’s terrible that the prices are going up, I’m not prepared to change my behaviour.”

By Warren Gamble, Nelson Mail