**Taupō District Mayor John Funnell. Photo: Dan Hutchinson**

A new $4.7 million waste recovery facility at Taupō Landfill is being built to divert thousands of tonnes of building materials and other recyclables out of the landfill.

By Dan Hutchinson

The project will also future proof the facility should resource consent not be renewed next year.

If that is the case rubbish will need to be trucked north to Hampton Downs.

The project is split equally between the government's Waste Minimisation Fund and Taupō District Council, each contributing $2.3 million.

Construction is expected to begin in October or November, with completion due in 2028.

The centrepiece of the upgrade is a new 40-by-50-metre sorting shed, standing about 10 metres high.

It's designed to allow commercial skip and bin trucks to drive through and unload directly onto a sorting floor, rather than heading straight to the tip face.

Precision machinery — including grapple attachments — will be used to sort through loads and pull out recoverable materials such as wood, steel, and gib board.

"They can pick up a saucer or cup of tea, literally, with some of these machines," says Taupō District Council Assets Manager Brent Aitken, who oversees the facility.

He says the resource consent for the landfill needs to be renewed by the end of next year.

The council is seeking a slightly larger footprint for the landfill but future rubbish will mostly be overlaid on top of the existing landfill.

Resource consent is far from guaranteed however.

“I think the good thing about why we're here today is this transfer station is going to future-proof our district and our communities to enable us to haul out waste if that was the eventual outcome.

“So it does provide us with an opportunity not only to divert waste but give us the capacity to be able to load onto trucks to take it somewhere else if that eventually becomes the outcome,” Aitken says.

The public will have access to additional bins for separated materials like wood, steel, and gib, with lower pricing to encourage recycling.

By the end of the first year of operation, the facility is expected to eventually divert at least 8,000 tonnes of waste from landfill which is “a good start," says Mayor John Funnell.

Louise Upston, announced the project on Friday morning at the landfill, filling in for Minister for the Environment Nicola Grigg.

**MP for Taupō Louise Upston. Photo: Dan Hutchinson**

She says the investment is about removing barriers for residents and businesses trying to do the right thing.

"Making it easier when someone's got a load to be able to do the right thing, to make it easier for them, is exactly what the Waste Minimisation Fund is all about.”

"Differential pricing to change behaviour seems to work quite well here," Aitken says, noting that cheaper rates for clean loads of specific materials — similar to existing rates for clean fill and green waste — are being considered for wood.

Gib board recovered from loads can be repurposed for agricultural use, where its chalky composition helps with soil moisture retention.

Wood is processed through shredding, with magnets used to extract nails and metals.

Concrete and other hardfill deposits still have to go into landfill because of the risk of asbestos contamination but Brent says there is a private operator who is trying to set up something in Taupō.

The new shed also serves a strategic purpose beyond recycling. With the landfill's current consent expiring at the end of next year, the facility is being designed to handle large-scale waste haulage if that consent isn't renewed.

"We're sort of future-proofing the site for two alternative options," Aitken says.

Deputy Mayor Kevin Taylor says the project reflects a genuine need for change.

"We've had a throwaway culture in New Zealand, in fact most of the Western world, for three generations, and we need to just refocus," he says.

In a statement, Environment Minister Nicola Grigg announced the funding from the Waste Minimisation Fund (WMF) which will expand recovery and processing at the Broadlands Road Recovery Centre.

A $2.3 million investment from Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund (WMF) has been matched with a $2.3 million investment from Taupō District Council.

The upgrade will enable loads on skip and bin trucks to be inspected and the waste to be sorted and classed.

“Boosting the recovery centre’s capability will enable thousands of tonnes of organic waste, recyclable materials and construction and demolition waste to be reused or recycled,” Upston says.

The new sorting shed will be built onto the end of the existing shed here. Checking out the proposed site, from left, is Taupō District Council Deputy Mayor Kevin Taylor, Mayor John Funnell, MP for Taupō Louise Upston, council asset manager Brent Aitken and project manager Jason Dayne. Photo: Dan Hutchinson

“Residents will be able to recycle a wider range of materials, reduce household and business costs, and increase their contribution to sustainability.

“This significant investment will also support Taupō District Council in achieving its waste minimisation goals and in reducing emissions associated with the disposal of organic material.”

The district will benefit from reduced landfill costs through waste levy savings and emissions trading scheme charges. The facility will also create market opportunities for reusing materials.

“We are fixing the basics and building the future by investing in environmental tools that help councils, communities, and industry to take action where it matters most,” Upston says.

At present, the facility’s limited waste diversion capabilities mean skip and bin trucks go straight to landfill.

“The diverted material will include organic waste, construction and demolition waste, and other recyclable materials.

“We’re committed to reducing the volume of waste going to landfills by investing in waste reduction, recycling and reuse,” Grigg says.

“It will also give residents opportunities to recycle a wider range of materials, reduce household and business costs, and promote sustainability.

“Economic benefits for the district will include reduced landfill costs through waste levy savings and emissions trading scheme charges. It will also open market opportunities for the reuse of materials.