Rubbish and recycling services will be restricted during the Alert Level Four lockdown coming into force from midnight tonight, which will help to protect residents and staff.

The Rakaia Resource Recovery Park will be closed throughout the four-week lockdown until further notice, while the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park will be open at reduced hours from 1pm - 5pm Monday to Friday and will only be available to residents who do not receive a kerbside collection service (ie. red bin).

Only rubbish in cars and utes will be accepted at the facility; trailers and trucks will not be accepted. Bagged rubbish and recycling (which will need to be treated as rubbish and go to landfill during the lockdown) can be taken to the park, but green waste will not be accepted.

Physical distancing will be controlled by allowing only one vehicle at a time to access the rubbish drop-off area from the weigh-bridge.

Essential waste service providers will have access to the park by arrangement.

The Rural Recycling and Methven Drop-off Sites will continue to operate as normal throughout the lockdown, however the Methven Green Waste Site on Vaughns Road will be closed until further notice.

Chief Executive Hamish Riach says the Council is introducing these measures to ensure it is doing everything it can to comply with the Government's lockdown instructions, while also making sure residents have access to essential waste services.

"Residents who receive a kerbside collection service will continue to have this available throughout the lockdown, with the exemption of the glass collection. We are keeping the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park open purely for residents who don't receive the kerbside collection service.

"It is vital that we are all self-isolating and reducing contact with others throughout the Alert Level Four. These new measures will help us maintain these distances and assist with protecting our community from COVID-19."

The new restrictions on the district's Resource Recovery Parks and Methven Green Waste Site will begin on Thursday 26 March.