Options Funding Provisional Source Due Date Cost ($) Composting 12 Review the operation and future capacity Nil Internal December of the Blenheim compost site. 2015 General Public 13 Review existing methods of Nil Internal Ongoing communication with the communt.iy Voluntary sectors and NGO’s 14 Continue to work with the NGO sector on Nil Internal Ongoing waste related issues. Industry 15 Continue to work with industry sectors on Nil Internal Ongoing the development of sustainable solutions for forest skid sites, mussel shells and grape marc. 6.2 Grants and advances of monies There is currently no additional funding available in the form of grants or advances, however Council will consider providing assistance to any person, organisation, group, or body of persons for the purpose of promoting or achieving waste management and minimisation. This may include, where appropriate, an application to the Waste Minimisation Fund, through the Ministry for the Environment. The Reuse Centre has recently been expanded to provide an increased selection of goods for resale to the community. The proceeds from this facility are currently used to subsidise the overall costs of waste management and minimisation. A contestable fund in the region of $10k per annum may be made available to the community should the Reuse Centre reach annualised sales of $247k. Should a contestable fund be established the following criteria or similar would be used to determine any award(s): • The organisation or group provides a benefit to the community. • The award will promote the waste hierarchy in the form of reduction, reuse, recycling or recovery of material currently going to landfill. • The organisation or group does not currently receive funding from other sources. • The innovation and sustainability of the proposal. Council will develop a specific process should the contestable fund be made available. The earliest start date would be January 2016. 6.3 Waste levy funding expenditure To help communities and businesses address New Zealand’s waste issues, the Waste Minimisation Act (2008) puts a levy on waste disposed of at landfill from 1 July 2009. The current levy rate is $10 per tonne excluding GST. The collected levy money is then split between administration costs to operate the scheme, payments to territorial authorities and payments to the waste minimisation fund. The Marlborough region has contributed $1,983,775 through the collection of the Waste Disposal Levy between July 2009 and October 2014. During the same period the region received back $657,087.74 in levy payments to territorial authorities and $106,929.53 in grants from the waste minimisation fund. Page 27