Rural Household Waste Service Options

The online survey has now closed.

Thank you for contributing to the survey on proposed rural waste services.

If you have any further questions or comments please email: letstalk@rotorualc.nz

Do you want rubbish and recycling collections in your community?

Council wants to be able to provide all Rotorua households, including rural and lakes areas, with access to convenient, economical and sustainable waste services.

Feedback so far has told us that rural residents would like a service but it must be a similar service as those living in the urban areas.

With help from the Rural Community Board, Smart Environmental and community focus groups, there are two proposed options:

Option 1 - Kerbside rubbish and recycling collection using wheelie bins and a crate for glass.

Smart Environmental (Waste contractor) has estimated that this will cost between $350-$450 per property per year to service. * As part of the 2018-28 Long-term Plan consultation Council will assess the way refuse services rates are charged to recoup costs across the district.

If this service was to go ahead it would be good to give feedback if you want to pay the costs as indicated or like to see the costs equalised (same for all) across the entire District for the new service (Cost equalised across rural, lakes and urban)


Option 2 - Continue with no service

No service = no extra charge to rates * This would mean current temporary collection areas, access to Landfill drop-off or bag collection points won’t be available.

Do you want rubbish and recycling collections in your community?

Council wants to be able to provide all Rotorua households, including rural and lakes areas, with access to convenient, economical and sustainable waste services.

Feedback so far has told us that rural residents would like a service but it must be a similar service as those living in the urban areas.

With help from the Rural Community Board, Smart Environmental and community focus groups, there are two proposed options:

Option 1 - Kerbside rubbish and recycling collection using wheelie bins and a crate for glass.

Smart Environmental (Waste contractor) has estimated that this will cost between $350-$450 per property per year to service. * As part of the 2018-28 Long-term Plan consultation Council will assess the way refuse services rates are charged to recoup costs across the district.

If this service was to go ahead it would be good to give feedback if you want to pay the costs as indicated or like to see the costs equalised (same for all) across the entire District for the new service (Cost equalised across rural, lakes and urban)


Option 2 - Continue with no service

No service = no extra charge to rates * This would mean current temporary collection areas, access to Landfill drop-off or bag collection points won’t be available.

The online survey has now closed.

Thank you for contributing to the survey on proposed rural waste services.

If you have any further questions or comments please email: letstalk@rotorualc.nz

If you have any questions about the what is being proposed please let us know and we will answer as soon as possible. (Questions can be anonymous) Thanks!

  • 1.Will recycling still be available?

    ru asked over 6 years ago

    Recycling will still be available at both the land fill and in town recycle centre. Thanks

  • Hi Just wondering if option 1 goes ahead,and some rate payers wanted option 2,do they still have to pay for it ?

    asked over 6 years ago

    Opt out will not be offered if the service was to go ahead. A portion of our rural district already has a bin service. While we have got costings from Smart Environmental for providing the service. How these charges are put to the ratepayer would be a part of 2018-28 Long-term Plan consultation. Council will assess the way refuse services rates are charged to recoup costs across the district. Please let us know if you believe that the cost of any future waste service should be equalised across the entire district (all pay the same - urban, rural lakes etc) in your feedback. Thanks for the questions!

  • If the decision is made to proceed with the curb side bins will it be possible to opt out? If it's not practical for a household to drag three bins down a very long dirt drive way or if pickup is only one side of the road there will be homes that have no space to leave the bins for collection or if some simply don't want to pay the high fee for example.

    Cmo87 asked over 6 years ago

    Opt out will not be offered if the service was to go ahead. A portion of our rural district already has a bin service. A number of those properties leave bins closer to the road and bring waste down to bins where long driveways are a struggle. While we have got costings from Smart Environmental for providing the service. How these charges are put to the ratepayer would be a part of 2018-28 Long-term Plan consultation. Council will assess the way refuse services rates are charged to recoup costs across the district. Please let us know if you believe that the cost of any future waste service should be equalised across the entire district (all pay the same) in your feedback. Thanks for the questions


  • As a rural resident I compost all organic waste and drop all recycling to the dump or the recycling centre in Te Ngai Road myself for free. This leaves me with less than a single black bag of rubbish per month. The rate for dropping off a bag of rubbish at the dump is $17 as it is treated the same as dropping off a whole car boot full of rubbish. Why can't rural residents buy council approved bags or stickers to put on their own bags for a more reasonable rate (say $5 ea) and drop them to the dump themselves?

    Koenig asked over 6 years ago

    Previous feedback from rural community was that if we are to charge for a service then they would like to be offered the same service as is provided for others (Urban). Hence, the current proposal has moved towards a full service rather than having drop off points in the district (Including the landfill).

    Currently, rural residents that are not receiving a household waste service and are not rated/charged for a household service. Those residents are only contributing towards the likes public litter collection, education, illegal dumping through your general rates. Disposing rubbish at the landfill is charged

  • Option two states " this would mean current temporary collection areas, access to free landfill drop off or bag collection points won't be available" my question is, since when have any of these options been available? We have lived in the area for four years and have never been made aware of anything.

    Cmo87 asked over 6 years ago

    Kia ora 

    Following the rural waste survey conducted in 2016 each property was sent a letter in October outlining the survey results for each community and also interim options for waste disposal. 

    Council's waste team also attended community meetings in each reach community where the options were explained. 

    Nga mihi

  • Why so expensive? The proposed rates of $350 - $450 are ridiculous. When this was first touted last year the cost was around $150 per year?

    Robbie01 asked over 6 years ago

    The cost proposed earlier this year as a part of the Annual Plan consultation was a charge of $187.50. The charge of $187.50 was to provide Rural collections points for waste & recycling (no roadside collection).

    Feedback was that rural residents want to receive the same service as those living in the urban areas. RLC was asked to price that service and come back.

    Smart Environmental has estimated that this will cost between $350-$450 per household per year for a full roadside collection outside people’s properties

    As part of the 2018-28 Long-term Plan consultation Council will assess the way refuse services rates are charged to recoup costs across the district.