- By Andy Baker, Franklin Ward councillor
As I have been attending public consultation sessions on the council’s annual plan, one of the issues the local board members and I have been regularly discussing with people is the challenging one of rubbish collections.
Franklin is made up of three former or legacy council areas – Manukau City, Papakura and Franklin district councils. Each had a different way of dealing with rubbish collections, and due to the challenges of long-standing contracts and a desire to avoid costs implementing short-term changes, the first opportunity to create a truly Auckland-wide consistency is now, albeit in a staged approach over the coming months.
The underlying structure will be all rubbish collections will be funded by a charge to rates, replacing in some areas of Franklin a “pay as you throw” or user pays structure. We are moving to this way of doing things because it is the simplest, most cost-effective, equitable and climate-friendly option to achieve waste minimisation outcomes.
All things we are constantly told we need to achieve. I personally believe it will also result in less dumping as there won’t be the cost issue of buying bags or bin tags. I know that bins don’t suit everyone in rural areas, so there is the ability for people who use bags to opt out of the bin and stick with bags, however, these need to be ordered through the council who will deliver them.
There is a link to a webpage at the bottom of the article that shows you how this can be done and also explains our rationale. Any request to opt out needs to be in by April 14. This is another issue where the age-old mantra that you can’t please all of the people all of the time is relevant.
I recall when recycling was introduced in former Franklin District rural areas and some initial anxiety about change that soon changed to appreciation. As a rural resident, I look forward to this change. Rubbish is something most consider a core council function, so we need to do it consistently, correctly and efficiently.
