Changes Ahead For Council
The Waste Minimisation Act (2008) requires Councils in NZ to have a plan to divert waste from landfill, with stated outcomes. Despite this, the amount of waste going to landfill in NZ is high. We are the tenth worst producers of waste in the world, at an average of 3.6 kg per person, per day. Given that we produce around 300 gms of waste every two to three weeks at our house, there are obviously people producing a lot more than 3 kg.
Shortly, the Government will announce an amendment to the Act which sets targets for diversion of waste which Councils must meet. Fines will be imposed for those councils that do not meet their targets. Given the lip service that KCDC pays to waste minimisation and its preference for closing recycling centres, its highly likely that KCDC will fail to meet these targets. As well, their attitude toward paying such fines or legal fees is remarkably cavalier. They seem to see it as part of the job description. I cant say I'm comfortable with my carefully budgeted rates, that I send to KCDC every fortnight, being used to pay fines because they cannot take waste minimisation seriously. They are neither sincere or genuine in their concerns regarding management of waste, greenhouse gases and climate change.
Want to hear more? Come along to the public meeting on Sunday at 3.00 pm at the Waikanae Beach Community Hall, Rauparaha St Waikanae Beach, just down from Longbeach. We'd love to see you there.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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