Waste Minimisation Taskforce set up to review Kāpiti action plans

A taskforce has been formed to look at the waste minimisation approaches set out in Kāpiti District’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP) 2017. The plan outlines Kāpiti Coast District Council’s key policies for managing solid waste in the District and reducing the amount that goes to landfill.

The nine-member Waste Minimisation Taskforce, chaired by Ōtaki resident and retired former Chief of Navy, David Ledson, held its first meeting this week.  It will report back to Council on how the District’s plan can most cost-effectively reduce the volume of waste materials in Kāpiti.

The taskforce approach was developed during Council’s 2018-38 Toitu Kāpiti Long Term Plan process and follows approval by Council’s Strategy and Policy Committee in March this year.

Council is represented on the taskforce by Mayor K Gurunathan and Districtwide Councillor Jackie Elliott. Membership includes community, iwi and youth representatives.

General Manager for Infrastructure Services at the Council, Sean Mallon, says the the 2017 plan highlights a number of key issues for waste management in Kāpiti.

“We have been seeing a steady increase in waste volumes and the challenges identified in the plan include improving the quality of our data on landfill waste volumes and upping our game as a District when it comes to recycling.

“The taskforce will be working alongside us to work on the best ways to meet these kind of challenges effectively to help ensure community perspectives are considered as we do that,” Mr Mallon says.

The plan sets a challenging target for Kāpiti to reduce the annual amount of waste sent to landfill from 600kg per person, down to 400kg per person, by 2026.

The complete waste management plan is available at Waste Management and Minimisation Plan.