Plans for Ngongotaha recycling centre canned

Ngongotaha's proposed recycling centre has been canned by the district council, saving the city about $1.25 million.

But not everyone in the community is happy - councillor Charles Sturt said he had received phone calls from irate Ngongotaha residents suggesting they were going to save their recycling and dump it on Rotorua Mayor Kevin Winters' front lawn.

Mr Sturt published details of Mr Winters' home address on Facebook, but also said he would not condone such actions.

"His address is in the phone book and on the council's website, it's not confidential or a breach of privacy, anyone could find it," he said.

Rotorua district councillors took 10 minutes to scrap the proposed satellite recycling centre which was supposed to be a compromise to kerbside recycling.

Councillors voted unanimously - apart from Mr Sturt and Karen Hunt who were absent - to drop the centre completely during draft Long Term Plan deliberations last week.

Councillor Maggie Bentley moved the motion to dump the recycling centre saying it was a want, rather than a need.

She was supported by councillor Julie Calnan.

Chairwoman of the councils' corporate and customer services committee Janet Wepa said some people in Ngongotaha would be disappointed with the decision but the council was looking to save money.

"After all we did promise them this [recycling centre] but if they really want one then they can make a submission to next year's annual plan," she said.

Mr Sturt said the move was a huge surprise and came "out of left field". "The council has no mandate to do this, it's a breach of process. There was not one submission against the recycling centre because it was already in the budget.

"The deal was we would upgrade the in-town centre and build a new one in Ngongotaha."

Mr Winters has supported the Ngongotaha recycling centre since councillors voted against kerbside recycling in June 2010.

However, Mr Winters said there were reasons for making the decision.

"These included the council's determination to keep the overall rates increase to below 3 per cent for the coming year, the difficulty we had experienced in securing an affordable Ngongotaha site ... and the extra capacity available at the Rotorua Recycling Centre since its recent expansion."

He said the in-town recycling centre was "only 10 minutes or so away, and Ngongotaha residents, like those from right across the district, regularly use that facility when they come into town for shopping trips or on other business".

Mr Winters said councillors had a very clear mandate from submissions to keep rates increases down while maintaining existing service levels.

Meanwhile, the council and a Ngongotaha landowner will face off in the High Court at Rotorua on June 19 to settle a dispute over a site earmarked for Ngongotaha's recycling centre.

Warwick Bray claims the council went back on a promise to lease some of his land on the corner of Taui and Wikaraka Sts but council officials say they never entered into any contract with him.

Mr Bray has applied to the High Court to make a decision on whether a binding lease agreement was entered into between the two parties.