Draft Waste Management and Minimisation Bylaw 2025

Overview

The Marlborough District Council (Council) is proposing to replace its 2017 Waste Bylaw which has been superseded by legislative changes and the new kerbside collection service.

Under the Local Government Act 2002 (LGA) and the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 (WMA), Council has the authority to regulate waste management related activities in the Marlborough region.

The proposed Waste Management and Minimisation Bylaw 2025 is an important next step in getting the region’s waste sorted. It will provide a mechanism for managing and minimising waste now and into the future. Without a bylaw Council has no powers to regulate waste.

A new set of Terms and Conditions will sit separately to the Bylaw to allow more flexibility as a meeting of full Council will be able to amend these. Large scale changes to the Bylaw will still need to be fully consulted.

Go to the Final Draft Waste Minimisation Bylaw 2025 and Statement of proposal 

Why do we need to change?

Marlborough currently produces 1330kg of waste per person per year; the national average is 740kg. The amount of waste produced directly affects ratepayers:

• The average waste to landfill for the past five years is 66,460 tonnes. 
• Marlborough’s annual Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Liability is projected to increase from $818,000 to $2,600,000 by 2026 due to a new calculation from the beginning of 2025.
• The National Waste Levy is scheduled to increase by $5 per tonne annually for the next three years.
• Approximately 46.5% of the cost (per tonne) to dump waste at Bluegums Landfill covers the waste levy and ETS Liability.
• Council have spent $6M to construct Stage 9 at Bluegums Landfill.
• It will likely cost a further $24M to construct the next four stages at Bluegums, between now and 2048.
• Due to the current volumes of waste being deposited at Bluegums, the landfill has an expected life span of 24 years. This lifespan has reduced by 6 years since 2019.
• Around 40-50% of waste coming into the landfill is from construction and demolition (commercial waste).
• Marlborough has seen a 46% decline in recyclable products over the past 10 years and we average more than 20 tonnes (a month) of contaminated recyclable material. That is a cost to ratepayers of $56,000 per year.  

Based on this, Marlborough can do better. Council wants to double Marlborough’s recycling output and significantly reduce the waste going to landfill.

The new bylaw will also identify remote transfer stations as waste facilities, increase Council’s ability to deal with non-compliance at transfer stations and allow new rules to address problems caused by litter.

There are also new requirements for Waste Management Plans for construction and demolition and changes to ensure only large-scale commercial events require Waste Management Plans.

Council welcomes your input.

Why your views matter

The views of people who live, work and play in Marlborough are important.

Council would like your feedback on the proposed changes and proposed new bylaw.

Anyone can make a submission. Your submission can support or oppose the proposals.

• Submissions on the proposed Bylaws and Statement of Proposal are open

  Monday 10 March 2025

• Submissions close

  Thursday 17 April 2025

• Hearings before Council Hearing Committee

  Wednesday 14 May 2025

• Council resolution revoking, continuing, amending or replacing bylaws

  On a date determined by Council

• Reviewed bylaws come into force

  On a date determined by Council