Final proposed WMMP22-28 adopted by Council
On 28 April, elected members voted to adopt the final version of the proposed Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2022-2028. The WMMP 2022-2028 document is now available HERE.
A community consultation took place in February, and over 40 submissions provided feedback on or endorsed the draft WMMP. Most of the feedback received was focused on improving recycling services, including organics, e-waste and plastics.
Council’s Waste and Climate Change team considered and integrated this feedback and the final version of the Plan was recommended for adoption by Council at the Strategy, Policy and Finance Committee (SP&F) meeting on 14 April 2022. You can watch the video of the discussion at the SP&F meeting, via the livestream on Council’s Youtube channel.
Council’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2022-2028
The Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2022-2028 sets out Rotorua Lakes Council’s waste management and minimisation strategies for the district, and provides the scope, policies and framework for waste management services over the next six years. The primary purpose of the Plan is to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill (including food and garden organics) and to reduce contamination of recycling.
The Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2022-2028 outlines strategies to achieve these targets:
- 30% reduction in municipal waste to landfill
- 45% reduction in recycling contamination
- Contamination-free glass collection
- 60% reduction in kerbside food waste to landfill
- 60% reduction in kerbside green waste to landfill
These targets were set following the achievements of the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2016-2022, and are expected to significantly reduce Rotorua’s waste to landfill and waste-related greenhouse gas emissions. These targets are consistent with the vision and goals of Council’s 2021 – 2031 Long Term Plan and 2020 Climate Action Plan.
We plan to achieve these targets through the following priority actions (in no particular order):
- Extend kerbside rubbish and recycling collection services to all rural communities
- Plan and provide new kerbside collection services for organic (putrescible) waste
- Enable local resource recovery infrastructure (e.g. local commercial composting facility)
- Improve post-capping landfill management and maximise waste diversion
- Engage with the community on waste minimisation and improve waste behaviour
- Advocate and support good waste minimisation efforts by other councils, community groups and residents
- Improve waste data collection for both municipal and commercial waste and report the findings periodically
- Improve solid waste bylaw and act in regulatory capacity to control and minimise undesirable waste
- Map the public litter bins in Rotorua and optimise their capacity and positioning
- Engage business communities and event organisers to minimise commercial waste to landfill
To learn more and read the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2022-2028, visit rotorualakescouncil.nz/rubbish
More information and background
Each Council is required by legislation to update their Waste Management and Minimisation Plans every six years.
The adoption of this Plan following public consultation is a statutory requirement and a prerequisite for Council to be entitled to receive quarterly waste levy payments from the Ministry for the Environment. Waste levy funds are dispersed through a formula based on relative population distribution and the disbursement for Rotorua is between $250,000 – 280,000 per year.