During its recent budget deliberations, the Hastings Council decided not to add $33,500 for additional waste minimisation programs — advertising, education efforts, computer recycling — leaving the budget for such activities at its current level ($16,000).
Councillors drew the line after a fervent presentation by staff and more strenuous debate — again, over $33.5K — than far more consequential budget issues received.
One would have thought the waste minimisation team would now be meekly closeted away, licking its wounds and uttering sotto voce profanities at the Councillors.
But no, revenge is at hand. Yesterday HDC was advertising in HB Today for another “Waste Minimisation Planner!”
Just goes to show you, you can’t keep an enterprising bureaucracy down.
So, HDC’s new Waste Minimisation Planner (somehow this entire post seems oxymoronic) might not have any money to work with to teach us how to minimise waste. But hey, (s)he can lead by example … perhaps by quickly resigning after discovering that (s)he indeed has no money to work with.
Tom
The vacancy is to replace someone who is leaving.
Sorry, we don't "salute" anonymous comments. Maybe you're in a position to know, and be right, maybe your not.
In any case, whether the position is new or "re-cycled," why bother filling it when there's a noticeable lack of support from Councillors for the underlying programs?