Kerbside recycling or rubbish collection up for further consideration

Rangitikei District councillors preferred to get more feedback from the public as to what kind of kerbside recycling and rubbish service was wanted.

The Rangitikei District Council has voted to go back to the public over whether some sort of kerbside recycling and rubbish collection service is needed in its towns.

Councillors were asked to vote on the possibility of a recycling and rubbish collection service at a council meeting in Marton on Thursday .

The council's senior policy analyst, Katrina Gray, presented a report based off 172 submissions responding to three options offered to ratepayers.

The options were: (1) a kerbside recycling service collected on alternate weeks, (2) the recycling service and a rubbish collection or (3) to keep the status quo.

The first option would cost ratepayers who used the service $106 per year; the second was $165.

Council's preferred option was just a recycling service.

The towns proposed for the service were Ratana, Koitiata. Scotts Ferry, Bulls, Marton, Hunterville, Taihape and Mangaweka.

The report said 55 per cent of all respondents preferred the second option; to have both a recycling and a rubbish collection service in the various towns.

But Mayor Andy Watson said it appeared there was no clear preference from the public as to which option was preferred.

He also observed the smaller populations of Scotts Ferry and Koitiata were very keen on option two, whereas in the bigger populations of Marton and Taihape the status quo was preferred.

Some councillors were concerned the options offered to the public weren't very clear.

"There's quite a bit of confusion surrounding this - I do think the consultation needs to be clearer ... hopefully we then get a better response to it," said councillor Richard Aslett.

Councillor Angus Gordon pointed out many residents were already spending more than $165 a year on rubbish and recycling - the cost of the most expensive option on the table.

All councillors agreed to go back to the public for another consultation process apart from Dave Wilson who was the only to vote against it.

He said the public weren't given notice council might choose to consult with the public again and felt a large number in the various communities were recycling individually.