The Te Anau transfer station will soon boast a new weighbridge, improving accuracy for recycling and rubbish collection.

This is a joint initiative between the Southland District Council and the Ministry for the Environment, which approved substantial funding of $100,000 from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund for the project. The construction of the new weighbridge is expected in the next few weeks.

The weighbridge will enable Council to accurately record volumes of rubbish and recycling being collected at the transfer station and then going out to landfill.

The resulting data is reported back to the Ministry. Council then pays a waste disposal levy which generates revenue for initiatives to reduce waste and encourage resource recovery such as composting and recycling.

Vehicles, trailers and trucks using the transfer station will continue to pay by units (i.e., car or trailer) until 30 June 2023. From 1 July 2023, users will pay by weight as recorded by the weighbridge.