Aucklanders are being asked to have their say on a proposed six-month trial of fortnightly kerbside rubbish collections in parts of Te Atatū Peninsula, Panmure/Tāmaki, and Clendon Park/Weymouth.
If approved, the trial would begin in February 2026, and participating households would receive a temporary rates reduction to reflect the change in service.
Council’s General Manager of Waste Solutions, Justine Haves says feedback from residents will be important in helping elected members decide on whether the trial goes ahead.
“We understand that changes to rubbish services matter and they need to work for Aucklanders. That’s why we’re consulting with the public before anything happens,” says Ms Haves.
“We know people have questions, so we’re sharing clear information, so everyone feels confident to have their say during consultation.” To address some common concerns, we’ve set out the key concerns and facts so Aucklanders can feel confident giving feedback based on clear and accurate information.”
Concerns and Council-provided responses are:
Concern: Rubbish will pile up if bins are collected every two weeks. Fact: Most households will be able to comfortably manage their waste when using the full system provided without overflowing bins.
Weekly food scraps and fortnightly recycling collections take a large portion of material out of the rubbish bin. Our recent audits show around half of what Aucklanders currently put in the rubbish could be recycled or reprocessed. The proposed trial is designed to test how this works in practice. For households that need more space, larger or additional bins will be available during the trial. Auckland Council will also provide tips and advice on making the most of food scraps and recycling services to help reduce what goes into the rubbish bin. Separating food scraps also helps manage smells – with less organic material in the rubbish bin, odours are reduced. By using the three bins correctly, most homes should see less rubbish overall.
Concern: Fortnightly rubbish collections will be permanent for all of Auckland. Fact: The proposed trial would apply only to selected parts of Auckland for six months. No decision has been made yet on whether fortnightly collections will become permanent.
The proposal is for a six-month trial, starting in February 2026, involving around 10,000 households in parts of Te Atatū Peninsula, Panmure / Tāmaki, and Clendon Park / Weymouth – areas chosen to give us a good cross-section of Aucklanders with different housing types, household sizes, and community needs. Councillors will consider community feedback before deciding in December 2025 on whether the trial should proceed. There are no plans for a region-wide rollout of fortnightly rubbish collections at this stage. The purpose of the trial is to gather information to inform future decisions on how Auckland’s waste is collected. Any future changes would be consulted on as part of the 2027 Long-term Plan.
Concern: Rates will stay the same even with fewer collections during the proposed trial. Fact: Households in the trial areas will receive a rates remission.
If the trial goes ahead, participating households would receive a temporary rates reduction to reflect the change in service, ranging from $23.30 for an 80-litre bin to $46.50 for a 240-litre bin. This means potential trial participants won’t be paying the full cost of weekly collections while helping us gather important insights on how a fortnightly system could work across the city. In addition, we’re providing other support – including waived bin exchange fees, further incentives for households that produce very little waste, and additional bin capacity provided at no cost if needed.
Concern: Fortnightly rubbish collections will cause more illegal dumping. Fact: Evidence from other councils shows collection changes doesn’t necessarily lead to more illegal dumping, and we’ll monitor the trial closely and respond to reports of dumping.
Experiences from Aotearoa and overseas show no obvious link between illegal dumping and moving to less frequent rubbish collections. In Hamilton and Tauranga, the switch to fortnightly collections, alongside weekly food scraps and recycling, reduced waste to landfill by about half, with no obvious increase in illegal dumping. Auckland Council will monitor the proposed trial closely and respond to any illegal dumping under existing processes, to make sure neighbourhoods stay clean and tidy.The proposed trial also includes support such as larger or additional bins if households need more capacity, helping prevent rubbish from being dumped illegally.
Consultation will run from 13–31 October. Residents can provide feedback online at akhaveyoursay.nz/collectiontrial, attend local drop-in events or an online webinar, and fill in feedback forms at libraries and local board offices. Council says all feedback will be considered by elected members in December before a decision is made.
