There's money in muck: How much councils spend getting rid of rubbish

There's money in muck: How much councils spend getting rid of rubbish
How much do councils spend on getting rid of rubbish? (Image: NZME)
Cécile Meier
In the second part of BusinessDesk's Waste is Money series, we look at where the ratepayers' waste money goes. Read part one here.Councils around the country accounting for 65% of NZ's population fork out more than $226m each year to collect, process, recycle and dispose of its residents’ rubbish, a BusinessDesk analysis reveals.  Almost three-quarters of that money, or $160m, goes to foreign-owned businesses, including joint ventures they are part of.  Waste Management earns by far the most ratepayer...

More Infrastructure

Big names for Wellington Water board
Finance

Big names for Wellington Water board

Credit rating agency warns that water reforms are no council debt panacea.

Pattrick Smellie 31 Oct 2025
US$411b on the table: will NZ claim a slice?
Primary Sector

US$411b on the table: will NZ claim a slice?

Infrastructure will be a major focus of the NZ EU Summit, but Ukraine might be too.

Dileepa Fonseka 24 Oct 2025
Wellington Airport's half-year passenger numbers down, net loss up
Infrastructure

Wellington Airport's half-year passenger numbers down, net loss up

A fall in domestic passenger numbers has been blamed on Air NZ's fleet problems.

Staff reporters 23 Oct 2025
Marsden Maritime Holdings CEO Rosie Mercer standing down
Infrastructure

Marsden Maritime Holdings CEO Rosie Mercer standing down

Marsden Maritime Holdings' chief executive, Rosie Mercer, is stepping down at the end of the year.After three years in the job, she said the decision was a natural transition point for her and the company, as Marsden Maritime Holdings (MMH) was in a strong position and well-p...

Ian Llewellyn 23 Oct 2025