Taupo District mayor supports plastic bag levy

Taupo District Mayor David Trewavas has joined dozens of mayors around the country to show his support for a mandatory charge on plastic bags.

An open letter from Wellington, Auckland and Dunedin's mayors was circulated in June calling for a levy to be imposed on single-use plastic bags. Almost all New Zealand's mayors have now signed the letter, along with Mr Trewavas, who believes a levy would help reduce the number of plastic bags being used.

"This is a great opportunity to make the most of using reusable bags to not only help the environment, but to extend the life of our landfills and to save ratepayers' money on dealing with plastic litter," he said.

"Our council team works tirelessly to pick up tonnes of litter ever year, along with the help of many volunteers in the community. While reducing the number of plastic bags being used won't eradicate litter problems straight away, it's definitely a start."

Mr Trewavas said he looked forward to seeing the response to the letter, which has now been sent to Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson by Local Government New Zealand.