Auckland Council has deferred moving from weekly to fortnightly rubbish collections to trial the idea before a possible citywide rollout in 2028.

Less than two months ago, the council appeared ready to move rubbish collection in the urban areas of Auckland to a fortnightly service from 2027.

Since then, mixed views and concerns prompted a rethink by council staff, who presented three options to the policy and planning committee today.

Proceed with fortnightly collection, starting from 2027, with further consultation required.
Conduct a trial in specific areas to gather data before a region-wide implementation.
Retain weekly collections and increase efforts to support composting and food scraps collection.
Councillors voted 14-4 to consult on the trial option in up to three areas of between 3000 and 4000 households before considering whether to move a regional rollout from 2028, subject to further consultation.

The move to fortnightly collection is a priority in the council’s new draft Waste Management Plan to reduce waste and carbon emissions.

It aims to push further up the waste hierarchy and includes a separate plan for the Hauraki Gulf Islands.

Consultation on the draft plan during March attracted 2737 submissions and found broad support for the key priorities, but mixed views on the fortnightly rubbish collection proposal.

Manurewa-Papakura ward councillor Daniel Newman has been against fortnightly rubbish collections from the start, saying moving the rubbish collection to a fortnightly service would be a disservice to hard-working families in South Auckland who need a weekly service.

For larger households struggling to keep their waste down, the council has offered larger bins for a slightly higher cost of about $2.20 per week.

Councillor Lotu Fuli supports fortnightly collections but said the community is not ready. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Manukau councillor Lotu Fuli said she supported fortnightly collections, but looking through her “rose-covered glasses of privilege”, and listening to members of her community and her 15-strong family bubble in Otara, concluded “our community is not ready” and the council is not doing enough to get them ready.

She voted for the trial.

Committee chairman Richard Hills said the council has listened to feedback from the community, saying change is hard but the trial will help alleviate some of the issues as the council works out ways to reduce waste.

Mayor Wayne Brown supported a trial, saying “if it turns to s… quickly, we will reverse it”.

Meanwhile, the council is doing away with “pay as you throw” bin tags in West Auckland from December 2, and moving to rates-funded, weekly collection services.

The charge for each household is $174.77 for a standard 120-litre bin. Households can also request an 80L bin for $145.24 or a 240L bin for $290.09. Households will only pay a partial charge for the 2024-25 financial year.

Bin tags will end on the North Shore on March 3 next year, Papakura on May 1 next year, and there will be a change from council bags to bins in Franklin from July next year.

The council will begin rates-funded rubbish collections in Rodney in September next year. The northern ward currently has no council rubbish service.