The WMMP is a legislative requirement outlining the district’s strategy, objectives, and initiatives for waste management and reduction. The plan is reviewed every six years to ensure it reflects the district’s priorities and changing conditions.

It is a direction-setting plan and does not make final decisions about specific services, funding or delivery.

The WMMP identifies key focus areas within the district’s waste system to achieve these goals.

Your feedback helps shape what we do. It tells us what matters to you and your community, and has already influenced real changes — like expanding kerbside recycling and introducing initiatives such as e-waste diversion. Your input will guide the final plan and what happens next.

The WMMP aims to ensure waste services remain affordable and financially sustainable over the long term. It does not set specific rates or charges. These will be considered through Council’s usual processes.

The action plan includes reviewing current services to identify efficiencies and potential improvements. Where opportunities are identified, this may help manage or reduce costs over time.

Any future changes to rates or user charges will be considered through Council’s usual processes, such as the Long Term Plan, and will include community consultation.

In the short term, there are no immediate changes to rubbish or recycling services. The action plan includes a review of current kerbside services to identify potential improvements or more cost-efficient options.

Over time, you may see changes to services, new options for reducing waste, or improvements designed to make services more efficient and affordable. Any significant changes would be consulted on with the community.

Central Hawke’s Bay has made good progress reducing waste in recent years, but rising costs, changing regulations and economic pressures mean we need to take a balanced, practical approach.

Over the next six years, this WMMP shifts our priorities by taking into account:
· changing national waste policy and strategic objectives
· the importance of affordable long-term waste services
· the need for new waste infrastructure, including planning for the district landfill consent expiring in 2030 and the future of landfill operations, and
· the need to collaborate locally and regionally to help achieve waste minimisation goals.

Additionally, the plan proposes a change to how we measure progress to improve data collection and accuracy. Instead of focusing on specific local targets, such as boosting recycling participation rates, we will track broader metrics like increasing the amount of waste diverted per person within the district.

The Plan has been updated to align with this change in direction. Council may also introduce service modifications or new initiatives for the community to consider during the next six years.

The WMMP sets the direction for the next six years. Consultation runs from 17 April to 18 May 2026, with a decision on adoption scheduled for 18 June 2026 following the submissions process.

The draft action plan outlines indicative timeframes for each action. Any significant decisions to implement changes will be made through Council’s usual processes, such as the Long Term Plan.

You can make a submission online via Let’s Talk CHB, complete a printed submission form, or speak to us at one of our libraries or the Council office. Submissions close on 18 May 2026.

Yes. While the WMMP sets the overall direction, any significant changes to services, infrastructure or funding will be consulted on with the community before decisions are finalised.

Councils are legally required to have a WMMP, which guides how waste is managed and reduced in the district.

Reducing waste helps protect our environment, reduce emissions that contribute to climate change, and support the health and wellbeing of our communities. In 2019, the community set a clear direction to reduce waste to landfill through the Waste Free CHB vision. This aligns with national waste priorities and supports a more sustainable future for Central Hawke’s Bay.

The district disposes of approximately 6,500 tonnes of locally generated waste at the landfill each year. Additionally, around 2,400 tonnes of waste from the Tararua District Council is sent to landfill each year.

Council is considering future options, including whether to continue operating the landfill or explore alternatives. No decisions have been made, and the community will be involved in future discussions.