Editorial: Shared tip service works well

Michelle Pyke

Taking rubbish to the tip or landfill is one of those jobs that one always puts off, but when you get around to doing it, it can be immensely satisfying.

Once you have done it and cleared your yard, a world of opportunities open up in your garden.

The only thing that can irritate is if the landfill's gate rate charges keep going up.

That is why users of the Omarunui landfill will be pleased to hear that for the fourth year running there will be no increase in gate rate charges.

This is not only good news for users of the landfill, but also for shared services.

The reason is that the landfill is a shared service between Hastings and Napier councils. It was used in the campaign against amalgamation as a good example why a merger of councils was not needed, all they needed to do was work together.

The joint committee and management of the landfill is made up of both Napier and Hastings councillors and administered by HDC. The chairman is Hastings District councillor Wayne Bradshaw and his deputy is Napier City councillor Michelle Pyke.

The landfill has been run on business principles and this is why the customers are the winners.

But we need more. There has been talk about extending shared services even more than the landfill and other current ones.

After the amalgamation referendum returned an overwhelming "No" result, Hawke's Bay's mayors committed to looking for more opportunities to share services between their councils.

This newspaper applauded that commitment, but now is the time to get some action on the big service delivery issues like building, water and roading.