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       Local board fought to keep rubbish bins - now they're rusting out
        
 (HTM) Source
        
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       Several rusty rubbish bins in a south Auckland town centre are in
       desperate need of replacement, a councillor says.
        
       Auckland Council decided earlier this year to remove under-used public
       bins from across the city to save money.
        
       However, Papakura was one of only four local boards in Auckland that
       decided to fund and keep their rubbish bins.
        
       Manurewa-Papakura ward councillor Angela Dalton said Civic Waste
       Management, a council contractor, told her the bins in the Papakura
       town centre were rusting down the bottom.
        
       "It's along the main street of the town centre," Dalton said.
        
       The local board acknowledged the rusty bins were noticeable, with
       rubbish bags sitting on the ground.
        
       "It sounded like the [local board] chair knew about that and have
       requested new inners.
        
       "The way they can do that without cost is because of the removal of
       rubbish bins throughout the region, which means there are bins in
       storage which can be used to replace them."
        
       SPCA Papakura charity shop volunteer Joy Ramsbottom said she didn't
       notice the rusty bins in the town centre.
        
       Other shopkeepers said there may be some rusty inners, but they didn't
       notice any.
        
       Auckland Council removed rubbish bins across the region that had
       minimal use, but three local boards chose to keep and pay for theirs.
       (Torika Tokalau/Stuff) (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)
        
       Papakura, Manurewa and Franklin local boards from the south, and
       Rodney from the west, had opted to keep all their public bins, and
       funded it from their own budgets.
        
       According to council, the retention of bins would cost the four local
       boards about $270,000.
        
       For Papakura, the board had come up with $58,482 to pay for keeping
       their bins, it cost Franklin $43,452 and Manurewa Local Board $71,014.
        
       Papakura Local Board chair Brent Catchpole said it made sense that
       bins removed from other areas could be used to replace the worn bins
       in other sites.
        
       "We are not certain how many bins that might mean in Papakura,"
       Catchpole said.
        
       "But, we're confident our waste people are capable of examining our
       bins and popping replacements in where they are needed."
        
       He said council staff had consulted with local boards about the move
       and his board chose to make a financial contribution equal to what
       would have been saved in their area so they could keep all our bins.
        
       Dalton said it made sense to her that bins that had minimal use were
       removed, but not at town centres.
        
       "If its in the town centre, they should stay. People do use the
       rubbish bins, public areas are really important as well.
        
       "Although, the perfect outcome is that people will take their rubbish
       home, which is what we've been teaching kids at school too."
        
        **LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.**
        
        
        
        
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