Rates would need to go up and organic waste would be diverted to landfill if Christchurch City Council was to close the organics processing plant in Bromley ahead of establishing a processing plant at another location.

The Council plans to move the organics processing operation, which Living Earth runs, to a new location but it will likely be several years before that happens.

Some Bromley residents do not want to wait that long and have asked the Council to close it immediately.

A council report said if the plant closes immediately, all the food scraps and garden waste that Christchurch residents put in their green wheelie bin would end up at Kate Valley landfill because no other processing facility is available to take the city’s kerbside organic waste.

That will result in an extra 2756 truck movements a year making the 140km round trip to Kate Valley from the transfer stations and add $12.9 million a year to the Council’s costs.

The Council could also lose the waste levy funding that it receives from the Ministry for the Environment as diverting organics to landfill is contra go Government Policy, including the Waste Management Act and the recently released Emissions Reduction Plan.  

Council staff have calculated the overall net cost to Council of immediately closing the organics processing plant would be $14.2 million in the coming financial year and $6.3 million a year thereafter.

The council claims “to meet that additional cost, rates will need to increase until an alternative organics processing plant is operational.”

A Council report on the implications of immediately closing the organics processing plant also raises concerns about the environmental impacts of such a move.

It says diverting organic waste to landfill will undermine the Council’s sustainability commitments.

“Reducing waste is the core message for our ‘Bin Good’ kerbside messaging. When we can’t follow through on our promise as a Council it is hard for residents to stay committed and care. This inconsistency may result in public apathy and distrust in Council for not practicing what we preach.’’.

The report is recommending that the Council keep the plant operating for now.

The Council’s Finance and Performance Committee will consider the report when it meets at 9.30am on Thursday 26 May. The meeting will be live-streamed.