As part of this wider policy development process, the Ministry brought together the parties to the recent court case to explore what common ground existed between them on the issues of waste levies. In the course of these discussions, it became apparent that a properly designed and implemented national waste levy would meet the requirements of both parties in terms of a secure source of funds to promote waste minimisation initiatives, while at the same time ensuring national certainty and administrative efficiency in the application and compliance of a levy.

As a result of this common ground, the parties have developed a draft national waste levy proposal that they will forward to the Minister for the Environment and request it be given consideration in the policy development process by Ministry for the Environment staff currently underway. Before the proposal is finalised the parties (Rodney District Council, North Shore City Council, Waitakere City Council and Christchurch City Council, Carter Holt Harvey, Envirowaste Services and Waste Management Ltd) are keen to receive your feedback to either refine the proposal or to gauge the level of support such a proposal is likely to receive. The draft proposal will be forwarded to the Minister as one option for consideration by Ministry officials.