Council among six to receive waste funds

Paula Thompson.

The Rotorua District Council is one of six Bay of Plenty organisations doing waste reduction projects to receive a newly launched fund to make the most of the region's waste resources.

The Waste Resource Advisory Group, administered by Bay of Plenty Regional Council, launched the $50,000 fund in June to promote waste initiatives from Bay businesses, industry, councils or community groups.

The council was given $4165 to be put towards community worm farming workshops. It gives participants all they need to set up their own farms, create home compost and reduce food waste.

Regional council regional direction and delivery committee chairwoman Paula Thompson said 13 organisations and individuals had applied for more than $160,000 in funding, and the Waste Resource Advisory Group had spread the available funding across as many projects as it could.

"We wanted the money to be spread across the greatest number of projects, so we boosted the fund by a small amount, and with some savings here and there we can now fund six projects," she said.

"We were delighted with the number and quality of the applications, which show there are some great ideas out in the community to make the most of what would otherwise be waste."

Ms Thompson said the contestable fund was designed to promote the regions Waste and Resource Efficiency Strategy's actions and initiatives.

"This includes fostering collaboration and partnerships, improving data and information management, increasing resource efficiency and beneficial reuse, reducing the harmful impacts of waste and stimulating research and innovation while reducing waste to landfill."

The other five projects being funded are Community Resources Whakatane ($15,000) for setting up a construction waste and demolition waste collection service; Good Neighbour Aotearoa Trust ($15,000) for collecting food waste from supermarkets and food stores to provide 257,000 meals a year to community groups and the Tauranga Food Bank; Tauranga City Council's organic waste diversion project ($12,000); Gourmet Night Market ($4165) to provide public education workshops at Gourmet Night Market events; and Para Kore, Zero Waste on Marae ($4165) to transfer and deliver bins and tools to marae around the region.