Inorganic Rubbish Collection

Each year Council provides residents in the Waitakere area with a cost-effective user-pays inorganic rubbish collection service.

For $23 (price effective from 01 July 2011) the council will collect a maximum of one cubic metre of inorganic rubbish from inside your property.

When do collections start?

Bookings made on-line or paid at the Council need to be done at least three weeks prior to your collection date, please book online or pay in person at Council's offices at 6 Henderson Valley Road.

How does it work?

You book and pay for the service in advance and we collect your inorganic rubbish from inside your property.
In order to use this service you will need:

• A suitable place on your property to put your rubbish for collection (Rubbish put out at the kerb will attract a $400 fine). See "common questions" if you are unsure whether your property is suitable for this service.
• To book and pay online by credit card, or book in person at Council's offices at 6 Henderson Valley Road and pay by cash, Eftpos or cheque.

Here's how it works.

1. You check the schedule or contact the Call Centre on (09) 301 0101 to find out the collection date and booking cut-off day that has been allocated to your property.
2. Book and pay on-line by credit card, or by cash/cheque/eftpos at Council's office at 6 Henderson Valley Road. Bookings must be made at least 3 weeks before your collection date.
3. When you book, you will be given a receipt confirming the date on which your inorganic rubbish will be collected.
4. We will send you a reminder in advance of your collection if an email address is provided with your booking.
5. You place your inorganic rubbish inside your gate, on or close to your driveway, before 7.00am on your collection day.
6. We collect your inorganic rubbish and the job is done.

If for any reason we can't collect your inorganic rubbish on your allocated collection date, we will call you and arrange another time.

We strongly recommend that you be at home on your collection day, if at all possible. Please ensure dogs are restrained.

We collect inorganic household items such as old furniture, appliances, metal items and outdoor equipment.

You may put out a maximum of one cubic metre (about two car boots full) of inorganic rubbish.

For further information, please view the following brochure:

• Inorganic collection information brochure for the former Waitakere City Council area.(PDF 876kb)

The brochure is also available in the following languages:

• Maori (PDF 2.1mb)
• Samoan (PDF 2.2mb)
• Tongan (PDF 2.2mb)
• Chinese - traditional (PDF 3mb)
• Korean (PDF 1.8mb)
• Arabic (PDF 2.1mb)
• Hindi (PDF 2.7mb)

Don't put inorganic rubbish on the kerb - it will attract a $400 fine

Dumping inorganic rubbish on the kerb is now illegal and will attract a $400 fine. Leave your inorganic collection pile inside your property.

The booking system

The cost is $23.00 (including GST). There are two ways to book a collection:

1. Online: The cost is $23.00 (including GST
   
   or
   
2. At the Council: Go to Council's office, open Monday to Friday, 8am - 5pm at 6 Henderson Valley Road (across the airbridge/walkway from Railside Avenue/ Henderson Railway Station).

You will be assisted to make your booking and pay the $23.00 fee. The counter has facilities for cash, cheque and EFTPOS payment.

There are no postal or phone bookings and no refunds.

Confirmation of your booking and the date of collection will be provided in a printable receipt form if you pay online, or will be issued when you pay at the counter.

Placement of your inorganic rubbish

The inorganic pile must be placed inside your private residential property. Please ensure:

• The pile is easily accessible from the driveway
• The pile is close to entry point of property (as collection vehicles will be of varying dimensions)
• Any dogs are tied up
• Gates are unlocked
• No vehicles or obstructions are left in the driveway and there is clear passage
• The pile is within 10m of truck access
• All material to be collected is outside (i.e. not inside the garage)
• All material must be placed at the front of the section, not the rear
• The pile must be easily identifiable as the pile to be collected
• The pile must not include any items that are not collected in inorganic collections - see info

If you do not have an accessible area on your property you will not be able to use this service and should bring your inorganic rubbish to Waitakere's Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station. Gate rates apply for disposal of some items.

Collection information

We do collect:

• Furniture
• Lawn mowers, wheelbarrows
• Computers, TVs
• Carpets
• Toys
• Metal items from household renovations (corrugated iron, pipes etc.)
• Appliances (washing machines, stoves, fridges)
• Outdoor furniture and leisure equipment

We don't collect

• Quantities in excess of 1m3
• Any bagged rubbish
• Gas bottles / cylinders
• Garden waste, tree trimmings and soil
• Commercial and farming waste
• Bricks and broken concrete
• Glass, small loose items
• Oil, paint and chemicals
• Fibrolite / asbestos
• Polystyrene
• Car bodies and tyres
• Building or trade waste
• Household renovation materials (excluding metals)
• Anything that cannot be lifted by two people

For disposal of these items please go to Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station or contact us for more information and advice.

Frequently asked questions:

Why did Waitakere introduce a prepaid inorganic collection system?

In 2009 Waitakere City Council introduced a user-pays system because:

1. The law requires us to encourage waste reduction
2. The old system was inefficient, unsightly and dangerous
3. The old system made illegal dumping and commercial scavenging possible at the ratepayers' expense.

The user pays service also makes households more responsible for the amount of waste they create and gives them control over how much they spend on waste disposal.

The less waste created, the lower the disposal costs. This means that people who generate little or no waste have lower costs than those who create a lot of waste.

The previous service also posed serious health and safety risks for staff and led to large-scale illegal dumping by people from outside Waitakere.

The 2009 Inorganic Collection customer satisfaction survey found that 95% experienced no illegal dumping during the collection period.

Eighty per cent told us they believe the new system is "excellent - prompt, clean and efficient".

• Individuals have become responsible for their own waste - consistent with the Government's strategy on waste minimisation.
• Waitakere experienced a substantial decrease in illegal dumping thanks to the new system. A poll of people who used the system last year found 95% experienced no illegal dumping during the collection period.
• Eighty per cent of those polled believe the new system is "excellent - prompt, clean and efficient".
• Without large-scale dumping on the city's footpaths Waitakere is cleaner and safer for residents and inorganic rubbish collection workers.

Why are we expected to pay for our inorganic collection?

The user pays system is fairer, as many people (more than 30% of households) did not use the inorganic collection service and used to subsidise the people that put out large volumes of rubbish. User pays for waste disposal is consistent with central government's strategy for waste minimisation.

How is the collection paid for?

A mix of user charge, rates and the sale of materials, such as metals, recovered from the inorganic collection.

What should I do if I see someone trespassing on my land and tampering with my inorganic rubbish?

Note the description of the offender and the details of their vehicle (make, model, colour, licence plate, etc) and call the Police.

Can I pay for two collections at my house and put twice as much?

No. The service allows for one inorganic collection per rateable property, per year, and the user charge does not cover the full cost of the collection.

We have two houses on our property, can we have two inorganic pick ups?

Again, there is only one inorganic collection per rateable property, so if you have a minor household and a main dwelling but are only charged for one lot of rates, you are only entitled to one inorganic collection.

My driveway is inaccessible. Can I pay my neighbour to have it collected from their house with their permission?

Yes, if your neighbour is not planning to put out any inorganic themselves (as we will only collect one pile of inorganic rubbish per property) and is willing to book a collection on your behalf for their property.

I live in an apartment and don't have a section, where can I leave my inorganic pile?

The inorganic pile can be left in a common area providing the customer has permission from their body corporate and the common area is on private land and accessible to the contractor.

Alternatively you can bring your inorganic rubbish to the Waitakere Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station. Gate rates apply for disposal.

I have nowhere on my section to put the inorganic pile. What can I do?

Sorry, this service is unavailable to people who do not have a suitable area on their property to leave the inorganic pile. You can bring your inorganic rubbish to the Waitakere Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station. Gate rates apply for disposal.

Can we pay for this service over the phone?

Unfortunately, no. However, you can access all your delivery details by phoning our Call Centre on 09 301 0101 and then pay in person at the council or online at www.inorganiccollection.co.nz

I have booked a collection but can't remember when it is. How can I check?

You can check the information yourself online or phone the Call Centre on 09 301 0101. Online customers are also sent an automatic email reminder prior to collection.

Please phone the council on 09 301 0101 (24 hours, 7 days a week) for further information on the inorganic collection service or visit the council's customer services counter.

Why has the cost of the inorganic collection increased?

The former Waitakere City Council introduced a user pays inorganic collection service for Waitakere residents in 2009. The initial introductory cost to the householder did not cover the entire cost of the collection and therefore the majority of cost was still subsidised through general rates. The intent was always to move toward a fully user funded service over time and now the majority of cost is user funded.

User pays for waste disposal is consistent with S25 of the Waste Minimisation Act introduced in 2008. A levy was imposed on each tonne of waste to recognise that disposal imposes costs on the environment, society, and the economy. To pay the levy out of general rates, and therefore those that do not use the service does not achieve the intent of the Act.

When you consider the costs for taking a cubic metre of inorganic waste to a transfer station, (including the cost of disposal (a minimum of $20), possible hireage of a trailer, the transportation costs and the time involved); the cost and convenience of using the user pays inorganic collection service still represents good value for money.

Please phone the council on 09 301 0101 (24 hours, 7 days a week) for further information on the inorganic collection service or visit the council's customer services counter.