Thursday 4 December, 1pm-2pm
Open to territorial authorities only.
Updating the Local Government Waste Management Manifesto
The TAO Forum is currently updating its Waste Management Manifesto for Local Government. Employees of any territorial authority are invited to participate in an online workshop led by Michelle Kazor and Joanne McGregor of Versity Ltd, in collaboration with the TAO Forum project reference group.
During this session, participants will learn about the ongoing work and initial insights, and will have the opportunity to provide input and feedback on the Manifesto's objectives, priorities, and development approach. We plan to share a short document outlining initial insights and questions for the Forum prior to the session.
This is the first of two open feedback sessions, with the second session scheduled for early February 2026 (date to be confirmed).
If you would like to contribute to the update of the LG waste management manifesto please register below to attend the workshop.
About the project
Local government plays a central role in managing New Zealand’s waste and resource recovery systems. We provide frontline services, enable community initiatives, and co-invest in local infrastructure. Yet the policy and investment settings that underpin this system are changing rapidly. With the next general election approaching and work underway to reform the Waste Minimisation Act, it is timely to ensure councils have a clear, coordinated policy voice that reflects today’s environment and future needs.
Over the last couple of years, attention has necessarily focused on economic recovery, housing, transport, and climate resilience. However, the absence of an updated and cohesive direction for waste and resource recovery has created growing uncertainty.
The key challenges include:
- Fragmented national planning and limited coordination of shared infrastructure across regions.
- No consistent national targets or frameworks to support councils in addressing priority materials such as construction and demolition waste, organics, and problematic plastics.
- Slow progress on product stewardship and extended producer responsibility, leaving local government and ratepayers carrying system costs.
- Rising service and disposal costs, putting pressure on council budgets and community-led programmes that drive behaviour change.
- Lack of policy clarity on emerging technologies such as waste-to-energy, creating inconsistent decision-making and investment signals.
To respond, the WasteMINZ Territorial Authorities' Officers Forum proposes developing a refreshed Local Government Waste Manifesto that:
- Articulates shared priorities for councils and communities
- Identifies where local government can act independently and where national partnership is required
- Frames solutions in terms of efficiency, investment certainty, and public value
- Positions councils as solution enablers