
Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee
Agenda
Notice of Meeting Te Pānui o te Hui:
A meeting of the Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee will be held on:
Date: Friday 10 April 2026
Time: 12 pm
Venue: Camellia Chambers, Level 2, Civic Offices,
53 Hereford Street, Christchurch
Membership Ngā Mema
|
Chairperson Deputy Chairperson Members |
Councillor Mark Peters - Christchurch City Council Councillor Nikki Mealings - Waimakariri District Council Councillor Kelly Barber - Christchurch City Council Councillor Chris Carthy - Hurunui District Council Councillor Russell Ellis - Ashburton District Council Councillor Big Red Shefford - Selwyn District Council Councillor Tim Scandrett - Christchurch City Council |
2 April 2026
|
|
Acting Principal Advisor Lynette Ellis Head of Professional & Technical Services Tel: 941 6285 |
Meeting Advisor Natasha McDonnell Democracy Services Advisor Tel: 941 5112 |
Website: www.ccc.govt.nz
TABLE OF CONTENTS NGĀ IHIRANGI
Karakia Tīmatanga................................................................................................... 4
1. Apologies Ngā Whakapāha................................................................................. 4
2. Declarations of Interest Ngā Whakapuaki Aronga.................................................. 4
3. Confirmation of Previous Minutes Te Whakaāe o te hui o mua................................. 4
Staff Reports
4. Transwaste Canterbury Ltd - Draft Statement of Intent 2026/27.............................. 9
5. Transwaste Canterbury Ltd - Interim Report for the six months ending 31 December 2025..................................................................................................................... 29
6. Resolution to Exclude the Public........................................................................ 58
Karakia Whakamutunga
1. Apologies Ngā Whakapāha
Apologies will be recorded at the meeting.
2. Declarations of Interest Ngā Whakapuaki Aronga
Members are reminded of the need to be vigilant and to stand aside from decision-making when a conflict arises between their role as an elected representative and any private or other external interest they might have.
3. Confirmation of Previous Minutes Te Whakaāe o te hui o mua
That the minutes of the Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee meeting held on Monday, 15 December 2025 be confirmed (refer page 5).
Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee
Open Minutes
Date: Monday 15 December 2025
Time: 10:07 am
Venue: Camellia Chambers, Level 2, Civic Offices,
53 Hereford Street, Christchurch
Present
|
Chairperson Deputy Chairperson Members |
Councillor Mark Peters - Christchurch City Council Councillor Niki Mealings - Waimakariri District Council Councillor Kelly Barber - Christchurch City Council Councillor Russell Ellis - Ashburton District Council Councillor Big Red Shefford - Selwyn District Council Councillor Tim Scandrett – Christchurch City Council |
|
|
Principal Advisor Lynette Ellis Head of Transport & Waste Management Tel: 941 8819 |
Meeting Advisor Natasha McDonnell Democracy Services Advisor Tel: 941 5112 |
Website: www.ccc.govt.nz
Karakia Tīmatanga
The agenda was dealt with in the following order.
1. Apologies Ngā Whakapāha
|
Committee Decision There were no apologies received. |
2. Declarations of Interest Ngā Whakapuaki Aronga
There were no declarations of interest recorded.
|
3. Appointment of Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson |
|
|
|
Committee Comment 1. Councillor Mark Peters was nominated for Chairperson by Councillor Barber and Seconded by Councillor Scandrett. No other nominations were received. 2. Councillor Mealings was nominated for Deputy Chairperson by Councillor Peters and Seconded by Councillor Barber. No other nominations were received. 3. Councillor Barber and Councillor Scandrett Moved and Seconded the above nominations for Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson and when put to the vote they were declared carried. |
|
|
Officer Recommendations Ngā Tūtohu That the Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee: 1. Appoint [Insert Councillor’s Name] as Chairperson of the Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee; and, 2. Appoint [Insert Councillor’s Name] as Deputy Chairperson of the Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee. |
|
|
Joint Committee Resolved CRLC/2025/00011 Part C That the Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee: 1. Appoint Mark Peters as Chairperson of the Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee; and, 2. Appoint Niki Mealings as Deputy Chairperson of the Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee. Councillor Barber/Councillor Scandrett Carried |
|
4. Appointment of representative to attend Transwaste Canterbury Limited Annual General Meeting |
|
|
|
Committee Comment 1. Councillor Peters was nominated as the proxy to attend and vote at the Transwaste Canterbury Limited AGM by Councillor Scandrett and Seconded by Councillor Barber. No other nominations were received. 2. Councillor Mealings was nominated as the alternate by Councillor Ellis and Seconded by Councillor Scandrett. No other nominations were received. 3. Councillor Ellis and Councillor Scandrett Moved and Seconded the above nominations for Proxy and Alternate and when put to the vote they were declared carried. |
|
|
Officer Recommendations Ngā Tūtohu That the Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee: 1. Appoint [insert Councillor’s name] as the Committee representative to attend and vote at the Transwaste Canterbury Limited AGM on 18 December 2025. 2. Appoint [insert Councillor’s name] as an alternate, if the person appointed in recommendation 1 above is unable to attend. |
|
|
Joint Committee Resolved CRLC/2025/00012 Part C That the Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee: 1. Appoint Mark Peters as the Committee representative to attend and vote at the Transwaste Canterbury Limited AGM on 18 December 2025. 2. Appoint Niki Mealings as an alternate, if the person appointed in recommendation 1 above is unable to attend. Councillor Ellis/Councillor Scandrett Carried |
|
5. Resolution to Exclude the Public Te whakataunga kaupare hunga tūmatanui |
|
|
|
Joint Committee Resolved CRLC/2025/00013 Part C That at 10.18am the resolution to exclude the public set out on pages 23 to 24 of the agenda be adopted. Councillor Barber/Councillor Mealings Carried |
The public were re-admitted to the meeting at 10.26am.
Karakia Whakamutunga
Meeting concluded at 10.28 am.
CONFIRMED THIS 10th DAY OF APRIL 2026.
1. Purpose and Origin of the Report Te Pūtake Pūrongo
1.1 This report presents Transwaste Canterbury Ltd’s draft Statement of Intent (SOI) for 2026/27.
1.2 The draft SOI was received on 2 March 2026. The draft SOI is at Attachment A.
2. Officer Recommendations Ngā Tūtohu
That the Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee:
1. Receives Transwaste Canterbury Ltd’s draft Statement of Intent 2026/27;
2. Notes that the draft Statement of Intent does not contain updated financial forecasts as Transwaste has not yet completed its business planning for 2026/27;
3. Advises any comments to be made to the Transwaste board on the draft Statement of Intent 2026/27; and
4. Notes that the decision in this report is assessed as low significance based on the Christchurch City Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy.
3. Background/Context Te Horopaki
Local Government Act 2002 requirements
3.1 The purpose of a SOI is recorded in Section 64(2) of the LGA as being to:
a) state publicly the activities and intentions of the council-controlled organisation (CCO) for the year, and the objectives to which those activities will contribute; and
b) provide an opportunity for shareholders to influence the direction of the organisation; and
c) provide a basis for the accountability of the directors for performance.
3.2 Clauses 1 and 2, Part 1 of Schedule 8 of the LGA provides that a CCO is to deliver its draft SOI to shareholders by 1 March and for shareholders of the CCO to provide comments on the draft SOI to the CCO board by 1 May in the year preceding the year to which the draft statement relates. The CCO board must consider the comments and finalise the SOI by 30 June.
3.3 To represent the five councils’ shareholding interests in Transwaste, the joint committee was established to which the councils have delegated all governance rights and obligations, including reviewing and commenting on the draft SOI.
3.4 Transwaste’s draft SOI was received on 2 March 2026, one working day later than the statutory timeframe. The draft SOI complies with the requirements for content by including the following:
· the objectives of the company, the board’s approach to governance, nature and scope of activities to be undertaken, non-financial performance targets and other measures by which performance is judged in relation to the objectives and the major accounting policies (Clause 7, Part 2 of Schedule 8 of the LGA); and
· major accounting policies, ratio of consolidated shareholders’ funds to total assets, an estimate of the distributions intended to be made to shareholders and the board’s estimate of the commercial value of the shareholders’ investment in the company (Clause 9, Part 2 of Schedule 8 of the LGA).
Financial targets
3.5 Transwaste has not yet completed its business planning for the 2026/27 year. The financial forecasts in 2026/27 and 2027/28 are those that were in the last SOI.
3.6 The following financial forecasts are at the Earnings before Interest and Tax (EBIT) level to focus on the operating performance and to exclude financing impacts.
|
Transwaste Canterbury Financial forecasts |
2026/27 $m |
2027/28 $m |
2028/29 $m |
|
EBIT |
22.1 |
22.6 |
22.9 |
|
Dividends |
14.1 |
14.1 |
13.7 |
3.7 Transwaste advises its conservative expectations are for a 3% reduction in waste each year over the prior year SOI’s forecasts. This is largely as a result of the ongoing diversion of waste both due to further increases in the Government’s waste levy from $65 per tonne in 2026/27 to $75 per tonne in 2027/28 and more aggressive competition from other local landfill operators.
3.8 The dividend reduces by $0.4 million in 2028/29 over the prior two years due in large part to Transwaste’s capital investment programme requirements.
3.9 The company is looking at options to replace lower revenue and to maintain the dividend quantum paid to shareholders. The extent to which it is successful in this endeavour will be reflected in the final SOI in June 2026.
Non-financial performance targets
3.10 There are no material changes in non-financial performance targets over last year’s final SOI.
3.11 The Christchurch City Council’s Senior Advisor Climate Resilience has commented that the Council supports Transwaste’s initiatives to capture at least 95% of landfill gas as well as initiatives to reduce operational emissions.
3.12 Staff from Christchurch City Council have been advised by Transwaste that it is likely to be in a position to distribute a report in 2026/27 to Canterbury territorial local authorities with attribution of carbon emissions by each.
Options Considered Ngā Kōwhiringa Whaiwhakaaro
3.13 The only reasonable practicable alternative option is to decline to consider and comment on Transwaste’s draft SOI for 2026/27. As the document is an accountability instrument owned by the board, it will progress from the draft to final as it considers appropriate.
4. Financial Implications Ngā Hīraunga Rauemi
4.1 There are no financial consequences as a result of the recommendations in this report.
5. Considerations Ngā Whai Whakaaro
Risks and Mitigations Ngā Mōrearea me ngā Whakamātautau
5.1 The primary risk of not considering and providing comment on the draft SOI is that Transwaste does not receive through the legislative process the feedback of the Joint Committee.
Legal Considerations Ngā Hīraunga ā-Ture
5.2 Statutory and/or delegated authority to undertake proposals in the report:
5.2.1 LGA.
Strategy and Policy Considerations Te Whai Kaupapa here
5.3 The required decisions:
5.3.1 Align with the Christchurch City Council’s Strategic Framework.
5.3.2 Are assessed as low significance based on the Christchurch City Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy. The level of significance was determined by the extent to which the decisions are likely to impact the community.
5.3.3 Are consistent with Council’s Plans and Policies.
5.4 This report takes into account the funding flows for VŌ’s activities in the Council's Long Term Plan (2024 - 2034).
Impact on Mana Whenua Ngā Whai Take Mana Whenua
5.5 The decisions do not involve a new significant decision in relation to ancestral land, a body of water or other elements of intrinsic value.
5.6 The decisions do not impact on our agreed partnership priorities with Ngā Papatipu Rūnanga. This is because the content of Transwaste’s draft SOI does not provide for any new activities or location of activities.
5.7 Staff note that Transwaste maintains a long‑standing partnership with Mana Whenua, supported by a formal Charter and ongoing engagement about its operations.
Climate Change Impact Considerations Ngā Whai Whakaaro mā te Āhuarangi
5.8 The decisions in this report are unlikely to contribute significantly to adaptation to the impacts of climate change or emissions reductions because no new activity or material changes in operational output is provided for.
6. Next Steps Ngā Mahinga ā-muri
6.1 The Transwaste board will consider the comments made by the Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee on the draft SOI and finalise its SOI for 2026/27 by 30 June 2026.
Attachments Ngā Tāpirihanga
|
No. |
Title |
Reference |
Page |
|
a ⇩ |
Transwaste Canterbury Ltd - Draft Statement of Intent 2026/27 |
26/614251 |
13 |
In addition to the attached documents, the following background information is available:
|
Document Name – Location / File Link |
|
Not applicable
|
Signatories Ngā Kaiwaitohu
|
Author |
Linda Gibb - Performance Monitoring Advisor CCO |
|
Approved By |
Bede Carran - General Manager Finance, Risk & Performance / Chief Financial Officer |
1. Purpose and Origin of the Report Te Pūtake Pūrongo
1.1 The purpose of this report is to present Transwaste Canterbury Ltd’s Interim Report for the period 1 July-31 December 2025. The Interim Report was received on 2 March 2026 and is at Attachment A.
2. Officer Recommendations Ngā Tūtohu
That the Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee:
1. Receives Transwaste Canterbury Ltd’s Interim Report for 2025/26.
3. Background/Context Te Horopaki
3.1 Transwaste operates the Kate Valley Landfill and is required to accept all waste from within the Canterbury region that is non-hazardous. The company is owned jointly by five Canterbury councils (50%) and Waste Management NZ Ltd (50%).
3.2 The Government imposes a waste levy on the disposal of waste at landfills. It funds initiatives to reduce waste and encourage resource recovery (e.g. recycling). Half of the levy revenue goes to city and district councils to be applied to the promoting and/or achieving the waste minimisation activities set out in their waste management and minimisation plans.
3.3 Since 2021/22 the levy (on the Kate Valley landfill as a class one municipal landfill) has increased from $20 to $65 per tonne. It will continue to increase over the next three years to $75 per tonne in 2027/28.
4. Considerations Ngā Whai Whakaaro
4.1 Transwaste’s Interim Report advises the following financial outcomes (note that Transwaste does not provide half year forecasts but acknowledges the reasonableness of assuming an even phasing over 12 months):
|
|
Actual to 31 December ’25 |
Est. target to 31 December ‘25 |
Half year to 31 December ‘25 |
|
Earnings before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ($m) |
9.3 |
10.4 |
10.2 |
|
% change in EBIT |
|
-8.8% |
-10.5% |
|
Waste volume (tonnes) |
163,570 |
171,357 |
172,568 |
|
% change in waste volume |
-- |
-5% |
-5% |
|
Interim dividend paid ($m) |
7.0 |
6.7 |
7.6 |
4.2 Against 50% of the full year targe and the same period in the prior year, EBIT is lower by approximately $0.9 million. Half of this reduction is attributable to lower levels of waste than expected (-5%) as a result of lower economic activity in Canterbury and aggressive competition from competing landfills (some of which attract a lower Government waste levy due to the lower risk nature of waste they are consented to receive).
4.3 The other half of the EBIT reduction is due to extremely low electricity prices (near zero at times) for Transwaste’s electricity ‘exported’ to the national grid. The low prices were driven by a wet summer which saw the hydro dams full to overflowing. Transwaste advises that the price per megawatt hour it received in December 2025 led to a revenue reduction that was 35 times lower in December 2025 than in August 2025.
4.4 The Government’s Waste Levy which is now $65 per tonne (up from $20 per tonne in the 2021/22 financial year and is to increase to $70 per tonne from 1 July 2026) may be impacting the amount of waste being diverted from the landfill to, for example recycling.
4.5 At year end, Transwaste expects that waste volumes will be down by 5% and consequently EBIT down $1.8 million against SOI targets reflecting the ongoing pressure from competition, electricity prices and reduced economic activity.
4.6 Dividends - Transwaste paid its shareholders an interim dividend of $7 million in the half year to December 2025, which is consistent with the half year SOI target, but lower than the prior half year interim dividend by $0.65 million.
4.7 The full year dividend is forecast to be $13.4 million, lower than the SOI target by $0.25 million, reflecting an expected lower waste tonnage of 5% for the full year. Transwaste is considering options for addressing the pressure on its operating revenues including opening a class 2 landfill cell at Kate Valley in December 2025 which enables it to compete with other landfills based on the same government waste levy. It is also considering measures it could take with regard to pricing and the attraction of new waste volumes.
4.8 Non-financial performance targets - all but one of the non-financial performance targets are on track to be met by year end. The target to “maintain or improve current total recordable injury frequency rate (TRIFR) for the last 12 months” will not be met for the year. This is due to a transport vehicle incident at the landfill which has been investigated and determined to be driver error. There were no significant injuries.
Attachments Ngā Tāpirihanga
|
No. |
Title |
Reference |
Page |
|
a ⇩ |
Transwaste Canterbury Ltd - Interim Report for the six months ending 31 December 2025 |
26/535691 |
32 |
In addition to the attached documents, the following background information is available:
|
Document Name – Location / File Link |
|
Not applicable
|
Signatories Ngā Kaiwaitohu
|
Author |
Linda Gibb - Performance Monitoring Advisor CCO |
|
Approved By |
Bede Carran - General Manager Finance, Risk & Performance / Chief Financial Officer |
Section 48, Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.
Note: The grounds for exclusion are summarised in the following table. The full wording from the Act can be found in section 6 or section 7, depending on the context.
I move that the public be excluded from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting, namely the items listed overleaf.
Reason for passing this resolution: a good reason to withhold exists under section 7.
Specific grounds under section 48(1) for the passing of this resolution: Section 48(1)(a)
Note
Section 48(4) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 provides as follows:
“(4) Every resolution to exclude the public shall be put at a time when the meeting is open to the public, and the text of that resolution (or copies thereof):
(a) Shall be available to any member of the public who is present; and
(b) Shall form part of the minutes of the local authority.”
This resolution is made in reliance on Section 48(1)(a) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 and the particular interest or interests protected by Section 6 or Section 7 of that Act which would be prejudiced by the holding of the whole or relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting in public are as follows:
|
GENERAL SUBJECT OF EACH MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED |
SECTION |
SUBCLAUSE AND REASON UNDER THE ACT |
PUBLIC INTEREST CONSIDERATION |
Potential Release Review Date and Conditions |
|
|
7. |
Canterbury Regional Landfill Joint Committee Background Report 2026 |
s7(2)(h) |
Commercial Activities |
Section 7 (Transport Equalisation) to be PX as report references financial data that is commercial between the parties. |
16 January 2027 following the public release of the source of data. |
|
8. |
Transwaste Canterbury Limited Presentation |
s7(2)(h) |
Commercial Activities |
The public interest has been weighed against the commercial sensitivity and has been found to not outweigh to commercial sensitivity of this item. |
1 January 2028 Upon review by Transwaste Canterbury Limited staff. |