Government announces consultation on a more effective landfill levy
The Ministry for the Environment has opened consultation on a proposed expansion of the landfill levy.
Currently, disposing of waste in a landfill is generally cheaper and easier than alternatives like recycling, composting and reusing. Waste going into landfills has been steadily increasing. Only a small proportion of New Zealand’s waste is currently reused or recycled. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of household waste production per capita in the OECD.
The reality is that many resources sent to New Zealand landfills could be recycled, composted or reused. There are many reasons why this is not happening. The main ones are lack of incentives, and lack of easy, readily available alternatives. The relatively low cost of disposal to landfill and the higher cost of recovering and recycling materials leads to products that could be recycled being taken to landfill instead.
The proposed levy changes are initially balanced, to allow households and businesses to adjust while new and improved waste management systems are established, but also to minimise the risk of increased fly-tipping or illegal waste disposal. It is estimated that the levy changes would lead to a fee increase of about 35 cents per 65-litre household rubbish bag by 2023.
The Ministry has provided a six-page summary consultation document and the full consultation document (81 pages). There is an online submission tool, and a Facebook post for sharing with family, friends and interested parties.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Riddle Alert! Who’s Up for Some Brain-Busting Fun?
4-letter word, always done tomorrow,
We’re out of tea, the ultimate sorrow!
Without the eye, you owe me some money,
No sugar no nectar no sweetness no honey,
4-letter word, if by chance you choose,
You can never win, you can only lose!
What is the 4-letter word?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
-
82.5% Yes
-
14.8% No
-
2.7% Other - I'll share below
Loading…
