Construction of Whitianga’s new RTS to begin

Watts & Hughes Construction Group Ltd have now been awarded the contract to build the much-needed waste management facility. 

Construction will begin in late April and the new facility, on Moewai Road, is expected to welcome its first customers in June 2026. 

Thames-Coromandel District Council’s 2024-2034 Long Term Plan budgeted $11.5 million for the project. A grant of $5.9m from the Ministry for the Environment's Waste Minimisation Fund means a saving of nearly $6m dollars for ratepayers in the Coromandel. 

Council Chief Executive Aileen Lawrie says Whitianga has outgrown its existing refuse transfer station and the new facility is needed to help cater for the increased demand of the community. 

“We are incredibly grateful to the Ministry for the Environment for their generous grant. 

“The new refuse transfer station layout will be easier and safer for customers to use. Partnering with Wāhi Tukurua (Mercury Bay Resource Recovery Centre) on-site will contribute to our goal of reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill,” says Ms Lawrie. 

Ministry for the Environment Manager, Waste Investments, Lara Cowen said the fund supported councils, industry and other organisations “to play a part in improving how we manage our waste in Aotearoa New Zealand”. 

“We’re pleased to support TCDC with its new facility, helping the local community contribute to New Zealand’s waste reduction goals” 

Through this contract, Watts & Hughes Construction Group will provide a foundation on part of the site for Wāhi Tukurua to develop their resource recovery facility, similar to the Seagull Centre in Thames, helping divert items from landfill that are still usable or that can be repaired or repurposed and sold in an on-site shop. 

The existing refuse transfer station will remain in operation until the new facility opens.