Wastebusters is turning 25 this year, and all we want for our birthday is a bit more space to expand our circular economy hub in line with the growing population.
Set up by the community back in 2000, when Wānaka’s population was around 4,000 people, our not for profit community enterprise is struggling to keep up with the demand for our reduce, reuse and recycle services on our current footprint.
We’re asking the community to lend their voice in support of a bigger, better Wastebusters by making a submission to the Draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP) before this Monday, 30 June.
Over the 25 years we’ve operated from the same site on Ballantyne Road, the population of the Wānaka-Upper Clutha area has grown dramatically.
We exist to keep resources in circulation and out of landfill, but with more households, visitors and building projects, we need to expand our site to cope with the increases. We’ve run out of space to take all of the items that the community would like to donate to us, and as a result, quality reusable and recyclable products are ending up in landfill.
We urgently require additional land to expand the site, and we are in discussions with QLDC, the landowner, to secure it.
The QLDC’s Draft WMMP is open for public submissions until Monday 30 June 2025.
Your voice is vital to ensure Wastebusters can significantly expand and continue to grow our impact for our district’s zero waste future. Please make your submission today, directly asking QLDC for more land for Wastebusters, and help us build a bigger, better circular economy and environment hub for everyone.
Wastebusters’ quick guide to the WMMP
Ready to have your say on the Queenstown Lakes District’s Draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan? Your submission can help shape a more sustainable future for our community and directly support Wastebusters’ zero waste work!
You can support Wastebusters in your submission by including points like these:
- I support Wastebusters getting access to more land, so they can build a bigger, better circular economy and environment hub for our community.
- I strongly support the plan’s actions on construction waste, organics and infrastructure. I believe that strategic partnerships with local experts like Wastebusters are crucial, and that providing the necessary land for their expanded Wasties 2.0 hub will significantly enhance these actions and help achieve more ambitious targets.
- I wholeheartedly embrace the terms circular economy and zero waste as our district’s essential framework. I believe a physical hub like Wastebusters makes these important principles accessible and tangible for the whole community.
- I believe that for the vision “Together Towards Zero Waste and a Circular Economy” to become a reality, empowering integral partners like Wastebusters with the right resources and space is fundamental.
- I agree that these five objectives are critical. I believe that empowering key contributors like Wastebusters with the necessary space enables them to significantly drive progress in areas like construction waste reduction and infrastructure enhancement.
Make a submission at https://letstalk.qldc.govt.nz/wmmp by Monday 30 June.
Thank you!
Need a bit of inspiration?
You can read our submission here to see the points we raised and how we’re advocating for a bigger, better Wastebusters. Feel free to borrow any of the language that resonates with you.
