Rationale for Waikanae Recycling Centre Closure
Still struggling to understand the reason why the Council voted to close the Waikanae Recycling Center. Can anyone enlighten me?
Is Waste Management not making enough profit? Should profit be a priority here? One would think there are relatively small amounts of money involved in relation to the Councils overall budget.
It seems we are to be kept in the dark on this, which immediately raises my suspicions that all is not above board. The Councils autocratic and high-handed action in closing the center with no public explanation leaves me wondering what else is going on. Their actions, in ignoring the submissions and workshop support for keeping the center open, along with failing to consult with Waikanae residents, contravenes the Local Government Act (2002). It is also inconsistent with their waste reduction policy.
At the first workshop on the long term plan, the proposal to close the center was discussed. However there was no publicity elsewhere on the issue and no feedback from Waikanae residents was sought. Putting something in the long term plan does not constitute public consultation. At that first workshop there was a majority of support from Council members to keep the center open. Subsequently, three Councillors changed their minds. Why? I would be very interested to hear the reasons for this. Also interested to hear why they thought it acceptable to close the center when the majority of submissions supported keeping it open and Waikanae residents were given no right of reply to the proposal to close it. It seems this issue was kept very much under the radar and only those "in the Know" had the opportunity to comment on it. How Council can justify this closure without consultation and against the backdrop of a climate crisis beggars belief.
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52.8% Human-centred experience and communication
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