Daniel Newman: Auckland councillor on the council scrapping plan to trial fortnightly rubbish collection

Auckland Council's trashing a plan to trial fortnightly rubbish collection - but the idea hasn't yet been removed from the picture.

The trial would've included 10,000 households in Te Atatu Peninsula, Panmure, Tamaki, Clendon Park and Weymouth.

Of more than 5,000 submissions, 78 percent opposed the trial.

Councillor Daniel Newman says the possibility for fortnightly collection lives on in the current Waste Management Minimisation plan.

"Some of us were trying to permanently move the whole region to a weekly service next year when the matter comes up, and we'll have to consult on it then. it's very painful."

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's go to Auckland.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
A plan to trial portnitely rubbish collection in parts of
the city is now dead.

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Put it in the bin, not.

Speaker 3 (00:07):
Going to do two weeks. That's what That's what we've
got to We should be talking about some of the
things that really matter about us. When are we going
to start incinerating our rubbish? When are we going to
do something about landfall? We're going to do something important?
What are you wordsmithing all the bloody time? Should I
hate that?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Daniel Newman is an Auckland City councilor and he joins
us now, Daniel.

Speaker 4 (00:28):
Good evening, Good afternoon, Ryan.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
Sounds like Wayne's happy. This is all done and dusted.

Speaker 4 (00:34):
Well, it's done to a point, but not dusted. Unfortunately,
the trial is dead, but the waste management minimization plan continues,
despite some of us trying our very best. The existing
plan is still premised on moving to a fortnightly rubbish
collection service in the future, and so Aucklanders can expect

(00:56):
that Auckland Council will try and some of us will
try and permanently move the whole region to a weekly
service next year when the matter comes up, and we'll
have to consult on it. Then it's very painful. But yes,
the trial's gone.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
Who wrote so who's written this thing? That? Why can't
we just change that document so you don't have to
keep coming back to.

Speaker 4 (01:16):
It because we are advised it's very frustrating. We are
advised that because the current plan is based on the
existing proposition of a fortnightly service in the future, if
you wish to move to a permanent, region wide weekly
rubbish collection service, that is a change that will require

(01:39):
a consequential consultation with Aucklanders. And so some of us,
of course, we all voted down the trial, well, most
of us voted down the trial that some of us
move to express in principal support for changing the plan
to give effect to a permanent, region wide weekly service.

(02:01):
The vote was had on that and it was lost
ten to ten with two abstensions.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
So even though no one wants, I mean, how can
you be in a situation where the public doesn't want
a trial, let alone a permanent thing, and yet you
can't chat you can you can poopoo the trial, but
you can't poopoo the permanence. I mean, it just makes
no sense.

Speaker 4 (02:22):
It is difficult to understand this the hoops that I
am being put through to try and give what I
interprets being the will of Auckland is give effect to
that because seventy seventy eight percent of submitters said no
to the Fortnightly rubbish collection trial. Last year we consulted

(02:47):
on the waste management minimalization plan. At that stage, fifty
three percent of people supported Fortnightly. Sorry, thirty seven percent
of Aucklanders supported Fortnightly. Fifty three post Every time we
ask Aucklanders this question, the majority are not in favor
of Fortnightly. But we're still dancing on this question. So look,

(03:10):
I'm very pleased that my constituents in Weymouth and Clinton
do not face six months of a fortnightly collection trial
setting in summer next year. But the question of the
policy and the planning and the processes of local government
just dragging on. It's not a good lot.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Daniel, appreciate your time, Daniel Newman, Auglan City Counselor. It's
a note to the trial, but it's a maybe to
the whole thing happening at some point anyway.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive listen live to
news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, Or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio