Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
Consultation on a contentious six-month trial of fortnightly kerbside rubbish collections in selected areas of Auckland is set to open this month.
Aucklanders are being encouraged to have their say during the consultation period from 13 to 31 October.
Parts of Clendon Park/Weymouth in the south, Te Atatū Peninsula in West Auckland and Panmure/Tāmaki in the east have been selected for the proposed trial.
General manager waste solutions Justine Haves said community feedback will be critical.
"No decision on a trial has been made yet - this is your opportunity to tell us what you think. We want to understand how households feel about the idea of a fortnightly rubbish collection trial," she said.
Haves said the feedback would help the council understand barriers that some households might face.
"Every year Aucklanders send over a million tonnes of rubbish to landfill. The proposed trial is a chance for trial participants to help us explore new ways to reduce waste and protect our environment," Haves said.
Photo: Supplied / Auckland Council
Residents who shared their views would "help shape the future of Auckland's waste services as we move towards a more sustainable Tāmaki Makaurau".
The proposal was slammed by residents during a public meeting in Clendon Park in September. It was hosted by Manurewa Papakura councillor Daniel Newman.
At the time, some residents raised concerns about the timing of the trial, scheduled for summer, saying it was a terrible idea, noting that when it got hot, rubbish bins would become overloaded and attract maggots.
Another said it felt like the trial was already decided, and the council was just ticking off a checklist with the consultation process, before forcing the trial on residents.
Information from the trial, expected to begin in February for 10,000 households, would be used in any decision on a regional rollout although no region-wide change would happen before 2028.
Auckland Council said weekly food scraps and fortnightly recycling services would remain unchanged and households would be supported throughout the proposed trial, including options for larger or additional bins at no cost if needed.
Should the trial go ahead, council clarified that ratepayers in the proposed trial areas would receive a rates remission on their final 2026 rates instalment, due in May 2026.
Council said the amount of the remission would depend on the size of their rubbish bin at the start of the proposed trial, ranging from $23.30 for an 80-litre bin to $46.50 for a 240-litre bin.
A spokeperson said any decision to introduce fortnightly kerbside rubbish collections on a permanent basis across all of Auckland would be consulted on as part of the 2027 Long-term Plan.
Auckland Council said feedback can be given online, at in-person drop-in sessions, or through feedback forms available at libraries and local board offices.
All feedback will be presented to the relevant committee of the governing body in December. Members will then decide whether the trial should go ahead.
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