Auckland City Council has ditched Waiheke's local waste service and awarded the contract to Australian-owned company Transpacific Industries Group.
The decision to accept the tender from Transpacific Industries over the island's award winning recycling company Clean Stream was made at a special council meeting on Friday.
Waiheke's waste management services will be transferred to Transpacific from 1 July.
Councillor Richard Northey says he is opposed to the decision as the community waste service provides work for local people and is a world leader in waste management services.
He says the council voted for the cheaper option, despite the people of Waiheke being prepared to pay extra rates to keep the current service.
