Fears of a health worker exodus as Kiwis are tempted across the ditch, more details emerge on the Government’s youth boot camps and how much ignoring your Kiwisaver could be costing you in the latest NZ Herald headlines.
Video / NZ Herald
The Herald reported yesterday on the depth of feeling around the project - and it left our inbox bulging like an uncollected binbag.
The plan, part of the 2034/24 Auckland Council budget, promises to save ratepayers $9 million at the cost of 3000 bins.
Officials say they targeted bins with “historically low use” for removal, but the sudden disappearance of bins at parks and beauty spots across Tāmaki Makaurau led to howls of outrage from ratepayers.
Taryn Crewe, Auckland Council’s general manager for parks and community facilities, says the region had about 10,000 rubbish bins at last count and it became clear to the council a large number of these bins were underused and contain little or no rubbish when contractors empty them.
“That’s why Auckland Council believes it can save money - ratepayers’ money - by reducing the number of bins around the region and particularly removing the ones that don’t get used much,” Crewe said last month.
Overflowing rubbish in Avondale's Eastdale Reserve. Photo / Avondale - Let's Clean Up Our Act
Of the criteria used to decide which bins would be binned, Auckland Council’s Sandra May provided this list:
Sites having a natural setting where users are more likely to pack in/pack out their rubbish for example bush parks, wetland parks.
Low-use neighbourhood parks or low-use sections of parks
Where bins are not co-located with other infrastructure in streetscape
Where bins have been identified as historically under-utilised meaning bins are often empty when contractors go to empty the bins.
The distinct whiff of dog poo wafted through much of the correspondence the Herald received, with one local fearing children would increasingly come into contact with the waste and plenty of dog owners complaining they had been handed the unfortunate end of the stick.
Others pointed the finger more directly at dog owners.
“This is how you save money? What a mess this council is,” North Shore resident Dianne, who lives beside an off-leash dog park, wrote.
“This facility has been here for years. We need it back so the thoughtless dog people can at least pick up their mess and put it in the bin. Get real.”
Some community-minded Aucklanders report picking up rubbish and taking it home, occasionally bemoaning the fact they were forced into the cleanup.
“Now that the council have removed most of the bins I am now picking up other people’s rubbish & taking it home. How ridiculous is that?” West Auckland woman Kathleen said of the changes to her daily walk.
A sample of the correspondence received by the Herald.
Were the public consulted?
Irate Titiragi resident Greg said bins that regularly overflowed in his neighbourhood had been removed.
“There was a bin beside the bus stop (logical) and my main complaint would have been not emptied often enough as it was usually full. But it’s now gone...
He questioned what data the council acted upon and complained the consultation had been insufficient.
“The council is acting like a bunch of cowboys, just like the mayor. Disgraceful.”
As bins began to disappear, members of local boards across the city took to Facebook to field complaints and attempt to offer solutions.
Some said they would look at ways to mitigate any major negative impacts and others asked their constituents to petition Auckland Council directly with their complaints.
What united the local boards was an apparent desire to distance themselves from Auckland Council’s actions, with multiple representatives claiming they had no direct say in which bins would go.
Julie Pickering, Auckland Council’s head of operations for parks & community facilities, told the Herald that the 30 per cent target for bin optimisation had been flagged on June 8 last year, when the final mayoral proposal was published.
She also countered claims local boards had not had adequate input.
“Auckland Council circulated a memo to all local boards on June 5, 2023, to seek their input and signal the opportunity to apply funding to retain the existing bin service level,” Pickering said.
She added workshops about the bin optimisation project were held across June and July and the project was discussed at the local board chair forum in August.
“Local boards were provided with a list of bins the council proposed to remove in their area. Local boards had the opportunity to give feedback on the proposed bin removals.
“If the local board determined some of the proposed bins should not be removed, alternatives to be removed had to be agreed upon. Four local boards resolved to top up funding to retain their bins.”
Rubbish collected in Avondale. Photo / Jason Valentine-Burt
She said local board members were able to raise concerns about particular bins with Auckland Council staff and reiterated earlier council advice to residents on how to manage the changes.
“We encourage people to dispose of litter in the nearest bin. If people are unable to do this, we ask that people take their litter home and not leave it on the ground, to keep the area tidy for others to use and enjoy.
“Council staff are monitoring the bin optimisation project and ensuring that loose litter collections happen, if required, through our contractors.”
One creative Aucklander writing to the Herald conjured a grimly graphic image when reaching for analogies.
“Removing rubbish bins to save money by Auckland Council is a bit like using confetti instead of toilet paper to save trees,” Peter wrote.
Christine from Onehunga was more direct: “It’s nuts to do this”.
“For pity’s sake, what are the council thinking? Isn’t it better for the environment to have rubbish off the ground as opposed to it going down the stormwater drains and out to sea?”
There were voices in support of the move, particularly online.
“Great initiative, get over it Aucklanders, take your rubbish home,” Nick wrote.
“Too reliant on a nanny state and the bins overflow as people don’t seem to have the capacity to see when a bin is full.”
“It’s about self-regulation,” Bronwyn wrote on our Facebook page.
“You brought it, you used it, and then you take it home. Simple really.”
Chris Marriner is an Auckland-based journalist covering trending news and social media. He joined the Herald in 2003 and previously worked in the Herald’s visual team. He is a tidy Kiwi.
