Taupō dump fees set for big rise

The new weighbridge at Tūrangi Transfer Station. Photo / Taupō District Council

A trip to the dump will get a whole lot more expensive in the Taupō District from July 1.

Dumping general refuse will increase from $170 per tonne to $210 per tonne, and green waste will increase from $51 to $60 per tonne.

The minimum charge for a small car load of rubbish - under 100kg - will rise from $17 to $21 at all sites.

At facilities without a weighbridge - Kinloch, Omori/Kuratau and Mangakino - a small van or trailer load of less than 250kg will rise from $42 to $52, and a large van or trailer load of less than 400kg will increase from $68 to $84.

Taupō District Council environmental impacts manager Brent Aitken said the refuse charges were directly influenced by the Government’s waste disposal levy and the requirement to purchase carbon credits under the Emissions Trading Scheme.

The cost of carbon credits has risen and payment of these is mandatory for the council.

“These changes have directly impacted on our landfill user charges, making it more expensive to dispose of waste at landfill and transfer stations around the district,” Aitken said.

It is the second year in a row that landfill fees have risen dramatically, with a $30 per tonne increase for general refuse in July 1, 2022, also because of the Government’s requirement for councils to buy carbon credits.

It means fees have risen by 50 per cent in the space of two years.

The council operates a landfill and resource recovery centre and five transfer stations

A new weighbridge at the Tūrangi Transfer Station will be operational from July 1 and the process there will be the same as Broadlands Rd Landfill in Taupō, where customers are charged at a per tonne rate.

The new weighbridge includes a licence plate recognition camera, and vehicles will be required to weigh in and out to dispose of their refuse and green waste. The new weighbridge is located after the recycling area, so it will still be free to drop off recyclable items.

“Please be patient while both staff and customers get used to changes to the roading layout and the new charging system,” Aitken said.

“Also, it’s worth disposing of your green waste and refuse separately, so you can take advantage of the cheaper green waste rate and you’re not sending green waste to landfill.

”You can reduce the amount of waste to landfill through kerbside recycling and composting at home.”

• To learn more, visit www.taupo.govt.nz/rubbishandrecycling.