By-election Candidates for Tauranga City Council – How did you ‘vote’? For or against rates-paid waste, recycling, glass kerbside collection?

Over March and into April 2018, Bay of Plenty-ites were surveyed by Tauranga City Council and also Greater Tauranga about things that matter.

Out of 9 tick-box questions with ‘your’ preferred choice, there were 2 pertaining to waste & recycling.

Long Term Plan Survey  

1) Should we provide rates-funded kerbside waste & recycling collections?

Option 1: Council provides a rates-funded kerbside collection from 2021 (note in 3 years).
Option 2: Kerbside waste and recycling collection to continue to be privately managed.

2) Should we provide an interim rates-funded, fortnightly kerbside glass-only collection service?

Option 1: Council provides an interim rates-funded, fortnightly kerbside glass-only collection.
Option 2: Council takes no action about glass-only recycling until the full, city-wide service is introduced
in 2021 (if adopted).

Vote for Candidates who represent your ideas

A Wild & Grace follower missed the survey cut-off point so we encouraged her to V O T E (before 1 May 2018) in the by-election, for a candidate that supported her views. Whoever is elected may be the ‘ V O I C E of C H A N G E’ that tips the power when Councillors vote to keep things the same, or show bold & brave leadership and think progressively.

We wanna know which Candidates in the upcoming Tauranga City by-election want to see perceived ‘FREE’ and perceived ‘compulsory’ and realistically EASY kerbside recycling/waste/glass collection VOTED in i.e. for it to be rates-paid.

We’ve group-emailed all the candidates asking ‘Are you happy to email me with how you responded to the recent Long Term Plan 2 questions which pertained to recycling?’

Here’s how they responded (in the order we received their reply email) i.e. did they ‘vote’ for our waste collection to stay as it currently is OR for it to change and be managed by Council and included in our rates.

What our Candidates think about Recycling

tahi) David Tank 1) Option 1 2) Option 1

Hi Emily,

Regards David

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rua) Buddy Mikaere 1) Option 1 2) Option 1

1. Support kerbside recycling and a ban on plastic bags and a programme to encourage other initiatives like taking your own personal coffee cups to cafes; anti-litter fines (same as for dog poo fines); programmes for schools on sustainable futures…

2. Yes – immediately. The current glass collection company should not be permitted to tender for any Council collection programme.

toru) Sheldon Nesdale 1) Option 1 2) Option 1

Hi Emily

wha) Lester Gray 1) Option 1 2) Option 1

1) are you in favour of recycling and waste collection being paid within rates?

rima) Robert Curtis 1) Option 1 2) Option 1

Kia Ora Emily.

whetu) Gillian Cook 1) waiting on response 2) Option 1

Hi Emily,

waru) Rosie Dawson-Hewes 1) Option 1 2) Option 1

 Hi Emily!

Answers below. Enjoy!!!

Rosie x

Rosie Dawson-Hewes

Very Good Content

1) are you in favour of recycling and waste collection being paid within rates?

Yes, of course! Not only will it reduce the amount of waste we’re sending to landfill, it will also lower our carbon emissions and the wear and tear on our local roads (only one rubbish truck each week instead of about six!). Climate change is real and every little action makes a difference overall.

I would like to see a flat-rate charging system (where we all pay the same amount), as a user pays system, similar to water rates, introduces additional administration costs and ends up being more expensive overall. This is about getting as many people recycling as possible, by making it as easy and accessible as possible. We all have to contribute to help out those in our community who are struggling with this stuff.

I also asked that plastics 1-7 be collected and recycled. I would also like to see us run an education programme to encourage people to produce less waste, by thinking about what they’re purchasing and its packaging etc etc, but council-run recycling at a flat rate cost is a good start.

2) are you in favour of kerbside glass recycling collection being paid within rates and becoming effective immediately (rather than ‘later’)?

Yes – the sooner we stop all that extra glass going to landfill, the better. rates?ts and ends up being more expensive overall. This is about getting as many people recycling as possible, by making it as easy and accessible as possible. We all have to contribute to help out those in our community who are struggling with this stuff.

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iwa) John Robson 1) Option 1 2) Option 2

Hi Emily,

In answer to your questions:

Regarding recycling and waste collection – I am in favour of a Council-led, city-wide, system that charges by weight and/or volume and bills the property in a similar way to water.

The important factor for me is that those who produce little waste should not subsidise those that produce a lot – and there should be some pricing pressure to reduce.

The technology exists to do this.

Regarding, glass recycling, I am not in favour of the immediate start of a kerb-side glass recycling system paid through rates – not least because of cost, but primarily because the issue hasn’t been thought through.

Glass recycling should be part of the overall recycling and waste collection service.

That being said, I am in favour of bringing the implementation of the overall service forward.

I see no real reason why this couldn’t happen.

Regards,

John

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tekau) Douglas Owens 1) Option no vote 2) Option no vote

Hi Emily,

What has not been explained is why the current contractor arrangements have been stopped?

Me: I’m going to send him a link to what i’ve researched re: why the glass collection has stopped.

 

Why is it that Council can provide a replacement service (interim) out of rates?

This issue is far from clear and waste management remains the greatest global challenge of our time.

Me: I’ve got this sense too, but i’m concerned having ‘no system’ whilst we all gather to discuss what could be the best system, is wasting time, and/or at least sending waste to LANDFILL automatically.

Until these questions are answered I cannot agree to anything.

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tekau ma tahi) Murray Guy 1) Option (no vote) 2) Option (no vote).

Have a lot of thpughts, options in these areas BUT totally focused as ‘High Priority’ this and similar issues at this time.

Best wishes
Murray Guy

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tekau ma rua) Mark Wassung 1) Option ? 2) Option ?

Hi Emily

Thanks for your email. Please see link to my video re Glass Recycling Innovation Proposal which is what I would really like to motivate for if elected to TCC. You are welcome to post this on Facebook or your Blog.

Here’s the link folks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9AA6xekWDw&feature=youtu.be

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Response to Candidate

I’ve decided to share my response to Douglas Owens, as a little frustration has been brewing which i feel will ease through communication:

Dear Doug

What i’m hearing is you don’t agree with any of the current suggestions, or timelines, or perhaps know more than the general public and therefore want greater depth to those questions.

I’ve included what i know about why the glass recycling has stopped…what can you add to this?

https://wildandgrace.co.nz/2018/04/22/emily-from-wild-grace-talks-about-how-and-why-bay-of-plentys-waste-management-has-stopped-taking-kerbside-glass-recycling/

My concern is the longer we take to decide ‘the best solution’ results in waste (compostables and recyclables) being sent to landfill.

I also understand this is a very large problem and complex as there are many players, local government, private waste companies, industries, manufacturers, consumers, but i would prefer we keep it simple (as council did with those questions) and start an action plan, then iron out the creases/problems as we go, rather than wait for perfection before action starts.

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Waiting for Candidates to reply

We’re waiting on 8 more replies, from the so-far-silent Candidates of this Tauranga City Council by-election.

Hope that’s not confusing – we did our best to present it truthfully and clearly.

We’ll (fingers crossed) update this post as we receive the replies, or at least will update the facebook post with how they ‘voted’.

www.facebook.com/wildandgrace

Nanoo, nanoo.
Goodnight.

Written by Emily with wild & grace

Photo Credit: Bas Emmen of Unsplash