Empty – an entire board clean-outed of tools at Zero Waste Ōtaki.
Empty – an entire board clean-outed of tools at Zero Waste Ōtaki.
While break-ins are a regular occurrence at Zero Waste Ōtaki, what happened in March really takes the cake. “They first grabbed our tools, then they came back a second time and used those tools to break in again.
“What they stole is basically what they need for breaking and entering. For us it is soul destroying,” said Alan Hoverd, a retired academic and committee member of Zero Waste Ōtaki.
More empty spots of a different tool board at Zero Waste Ōtaki.
Zero Waste Ōtaki is tucked away in an isolated corner by the refuse station on Riverbank Rd and open only one morning a week and one Sunday morning a month. While every effort is made to secure their tools, last month they got a big shock.
Not only was the read-out gadget for the weighing machine gone; the burglars also took the composting toilet, which was soon returned.
The team of 25 or so active volunteers do their best to help divert timber from the landfill. They de-nail all timber, sort it into lengths and types, and chop what is not useful as building material into kindling, which they supply for free to elderly residents.
“Because the saw we use for this job is gone, we can no longer provide this service.”
Gone: the read-out instrument to the Zero Waste Ōtaki weighing scales.
Out of a few sessions promoting sustainable towns held in 2019 came the plan to divert timber, a service that has become popular. “Even tradies come and look for materials they can use and they give us whatever they do not need.”
Zero Waste Ōtaki has been open to the public for three years.
The team have so far kept 90 tonnes of timber out of the landfill and they cannot hold on to any timber for long.
DIYers, as well as home gardeners make full use of anything they can find there to build dog kennels, bird houses, retaining walls, garden beds, even tiny houses, and converted sheds.
Damage done to the door to the composting toilet, which was stolen and thanks to local intel returned soon after.
News about their efforts has gone around and tradies and builders now deliver their leftovers to the site. It saves them money for disposal and it gets another use.
A local business has donated a few shelters and much of the inventory was donated, including tools.
“The council wants to know how much we divert, hence the weighing of materials coming in and going out. The scales are now useless as the read-out instrument was stolen,” said Hoverd. “We would like it back. It is of no use to anyone.”
The team gets furniture donated too, especially from people who are downsizing. “If it is any good, we try to repair it.”
“Many of our clients are environmentally savvy and they know we are volunteers. One day we got a trailer load of decking delivered-all de-nailed already, which saved us a tonne of work.”
The team is used to the recurring break-ins, where things disappear or get smashed. “We discouraged people from bringing anything containing glass as it just gets destroyed.”
Piles of wood sorting by type and length at Zero Waste Ōtaki who have diverted 90 tonnes of timber from landfill in three years.
In the latest break-in the thieves cleared out shelf after shelf of tools, as well as tool racks. “They took saws, chargers, petrol cans, tape measures, weed eaters, even boxes of nails, gloves, masks, all our drill bits, spanners, an engineer’s vice, and socket sets. They even tried to pry a clamp off the bench.
“They used our wheelie bins to transport whatever they took to a vehicle. We know this because one of the bins still has a tool in the bottom.”
“All our tools are marked, so are easily recognisable (ZWO), but we do not think these are meant for resale. They are now burglary tools. We would like the community to be on the look-out and get us back the tools.
“Because so many tools are gone our project is stalled. We cannot do it without the tools. This raid has set us back years.”
Zero Waste Ōtaki can provide you cheaply with all types of wood to build things.
Containers and shelter at Zeo Waste Ōtaki.
“People come here from Palmerston and Welington and our team gets a lot of pleasure out of their work. We have a lot of women volunteers. We have lots of jobs to do. We have got something for everyone, from making tea and coffee to welcoming and showing new people around to the hard work of sorting and de-nailing the timber.”
Zero Waste Ōtaki is open the last Sunday of every month and on every Wednesday from 9.30am to 11am. You can find them at 1 Riverbank, just turn left just before the refuse station’s kiosk.
They would appreciate it if you kept a look out for their tools. If they are returned the crew can get back to work at diverting timber from landfill and supplying locals with used timber.
