New pricing system for Waipukurau transfer station

Waipukurau transfer station's new weighbridge will be operational next week.

Waipukurau transfer station is moving to a weight-based pricing system from a volume-based pricing system from Monday, December 9.

The new weighbridge, which was 92% externally funded by the Ministry for the Environment, was installed in June this year and is another step forward in Central Hawke’s Bay District Council’s efforts to manage and minimise waste in the district.

“This new system ensures a more consistent approach to charging for waste disposal. In some cases, customers may even pay less than what they used to,” says CHB deputy mayor Kelly Annand.

The weighbridge is simple in design, with a traffic light system ensuring a safe flow of traffic around the transfer station. Customers’ vehicles will be weighed on entering the transfer station and then again on exiting, after they have dumped their waste.

They will be charged for the weight of the waste they dispose of – rather than an estimate of the size of their load as was done previously.

The new rates are: General waste disposal $0.39 per kilogram (incl GST), minimum charge $12; green waste disposal: $0.14 per kilogram (incl GST), minimum charge $8 .

“There are huge costs associated with disposing of waste, both environmentally and economically,” says Annand.

“Reduction and diversion are key in keeping those costs down. We encourage the community to consider other avenues for reducing, reusing or repurposing their waste.

Excess produce can be redirected to the CHB Food basket in Kitchener St, Waipukurau.

“Take items for repair to the Menz Shed or to the Salvage Workshop, take food to the Food Basket, or donate clothing and furniture to an opportunity shop – after all, one person’s waste is another person’s treasure,” said Annand.

Broken furniture and household breakages can be repaired by Owen Spotswood and his team at the Menz Shed, at the Waipukurau Racecourse.

Council’s environmental waste manager Robert Hon says, “The weighbridge serves two important purposes; it presents a truer cost of waste disposal and it encourages waste diversion. The data we collect will help our community make better waste management and minimisation decisions, helping achieve our aspirations set in our current and future waste management and minimisation strategy.”

There are no changes to the Pōrangahau transfer station.