Weigh it, Pay it – A new pricing system for Waipukurau Transfer Station

Waipukurau Transfer Station’s moving to a weight-based pricing system from a volume-based pricing system from Monday 9 December.   

The new weighbridge, which was 92 per cent externally funded by the Ministry for the Environment, was installed in June this year and is another step forward in Central Hawke’s Bay District Council’s efforts to effectively manage and minimise waste in the district.   

“This new system ensures a more consistent approach to charging for waste disposal. In some cases, customers may even pay less than what they used to," said Deputy Mayor Kelly Annand.  

The weighbridge is simple in design, with a traffic light system ensuring a safe flow of traffic around the transfer station. Customers’ vehicles will be weighed on entering the transfer station and then again on exiting, after they have dumped their waste. They will be charged for the weight of the waste they dispose of – rather than an estimate of the size of their load as was done previously – at the new rates of:   

• General waste disposal: $0.39 per kilogram (incl. GST), minimum charge $12   
• Green waste disposal: $0.14 per kilogram (incl. GST), minimum charge $8    

“There are huge costs associated with disposing of waste, both environmentally and economically. Reduction and diversion are key in keeping those costs down. We encourage community to consider other avenues for reducing, reusing or repurposing their waste. Take items for repair to the Menz Shed or to the Salvage Workshop, take food to The Food Basket,or donate clothing and furniture to an opportunity shop – after all, one person’s waste is another person’s treasure,” said Annand.   

According to Council’s Environmental Waste Manager Robert Hon, “The weighbridge serves two important purposes: it presents a truer cost of waste disposal and encourages waste diversion. The data we collect will help our community make better waste management and minimisation decisions, helping achieve our aspirations set in our current and future Waste Management and Minimisation Strategy.”  

There are no changes to the Pōrangahau Transfer Station.