24 August
A partnership between community work teams and the Kaipara District Council has led to a more convenient and streamlined rubbish collection service for rural residents.
Refuse collection has been an ongoing problem for those who live in rural areas, especially in Kaipara where council services outside the major towns are limited.
“A number of ideas for rubbish collection have been tried in the region without much success, and locals have been frustrated having to travel long distances to get rid of their refuse and recyclable material,” says Dargaville Community Probation & Psychological Services (CPPS) service manager Stan Pilbrow.
In November 2007, the Kaipara District Council developed the idea of rubbish cages sited at strategic locations throughout the Council district.
“Our local Community Work team was approached to provide manpower to construct the cages, which was a great project for us to get involved with because it’s responding to community demand,” says Stan.
The cages are made from tanalised timber, plywood and netting provided by the council. The work team constructs them on site and securely digs them in. The cages are sited to provide for adequate parking and access.
The cages are 2.5m x 1.5m x 1.5m and stand a metre off the ground. People place the authorised rubbish sacks in the cage from the top and they are cleared every week by the council refuse collection contractor.
So far, 15 cages have been built and erected in the Northern Wairoa/Kaipara area from as far east as Mangawhai, north-west to Omamari and south to the Pouto Peninsula on Kaipara Harbour.
Stan says there’s been plenty of work which has gone into making the project happen.
“We estimate that CPPS work parties from Dargaville have provided up to 1150 man hours to this project. The offenders have enjoyed working on this project - many of them know people in the rural area so have been pleased to be able to help them out in this way.”
The Community Work co-ordinator for Council, RSA and Lions Foundation projects in the Kaipara is delighted with the CPPS contribution, and is looking forward to furthering the relationship.
Annually, New Zealand communities benefits from over 3 million hours of labour supplied through Community Work sentences.
Community Work sentences require offenders to do unpaid work in the community for non-profit organisations as reparation for their offending.
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