The community will be consulted on a draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP), the guiding document to promote and achieve effective and efficient waste management in the Central Otago district.

At the Central Otago District Council (CODC) meeting held at Alexandra last week, the council’s Waste Team presented a report to provide the context for the public consultation, which will take place from March 4 until April 7.

In September last year, CODC adopted the Otago Region Waste Assessment (WA), which identified the need to update the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP).

The Otago assessment identified five areas of opportunity to help the district meet its waste reduction and diversion targets, including promote waste reduction and diversion targets, keep more out of landfill, improve waste services, work with others to reach shared goals and reduce impact of waste on our environment.

CODC has a range of targets, including reduce waste generation by 10 per cent per person, reduce biogenic methane emissions by 30 per cent per person, reduce disposal to landfill by 30 per cent per person, and maintain kerbside diversion above 50 per cent by 2030.

CODC Infrastructure Manager Quinton Penniall said those targets could be achieved through activities listed in the WMMP Action Plan.

"Council is already witnessing encouraging changes following the introduction of the organics kerbside collection in July 2023, a pivotal step towards attaining our targets.

"The implementation of our new four-bin configuration has spurred a shift in waste disposal habits, indicating a positive trajectory. We sincerely thank the community for embracing and supporting these changes to waste collection in the district."

Information can be found and feedback given via the CODC consultation platform Let's Talk.

Hard copies are available at any council office or library.