Southland disAbility Enterprises staff face the prospect of losing their jobs after Wastenet decided to put the region's recycling contract out for tender. Operations manager Kirk Rae, front left, is with nearly 20 of the 90 staff with disabilities who work at the recycling plant.

A petition has been launched and a battle promised against a decision not to roll over the region's recycling contract with a business that employs 90 people with disabilities.

For the last eight years Southland disAbility Enterprises has had a contract with Wastenet, which represents the three Southland councils, to recycle the wheelie bin collections in the region.

However, Wastenet has decided not to renew the contract, which expires on June 30 next year, and instead put it out to tender.

John Hawkins Greg Duncan has worked at Southland disAbility Enterprises for 28 years. ''We are all family, all friends ... and we do a really good job.''

If the contract goes to another company 90 Southlanders with disabilities face losing their jobs.

Margaret Fitzgerald, who has a sister working at the plant, said the families would fight to keep it open.

"We want to put an action plan together."

John Hawkins Paul Burtenshaw has worked at Southland disAbility Enterprises for 12 years. ''I have got a lot of good friends here, I don't want to leave because I have got my work mates.''

Her sister, Mary-Ellen Joyce is one of the workers with disabilities who will be affected if the contract is not renewed.

"To close Southland disAbility Enterprises would be like losing her family, it would be such a wrench."

An online petition, with nearly 1800 signatures as of 5.30pm on Wednesday, has been launched and the Southland councils can expect to be lobbied, Fitzgerald said.

John Hawkins Kirsty Muir has worked at Southland disAbility Enterprises for two years, it's her first fulltime job. ''I can't just go into another job so that's my big worry.''

Invercargill Licensing Trust board member Sean Bellew said the decision not to renew the contract made him feel ashamed to be a Southlander.

​The work at Southland disAbility Enterprises allowed those people with disabilities to integrate into the mainstream and have a purpose, he said.

Invercargill Sean Bellew.

To allow the "dollar value" of a better contract to take precedence over that was appalling, Bellew said.

If it came down to just business and the bottom line the "wrong people" were leading the community.

"Where's the humanity here?"

John Hawkins Southland District Council Mayor Gary Tong.

The community had given the recycling company financial grants over the years, including $786,000 from the ILT in the past 20 years, said.

Gary Tong, the Southland District mayor, said negotiations with Southland disAbility Enterprises had been ongoing, with the three mayors getting involved, but it was decided the only option was to go to tender.

"It's a money thing ... we were looking at a significant increase in this contract price."

All three councils believed it was too much to accept without going to the market, Tong said.

Southland disAbilty Enterprises could tender for the contract, he said.

The councils had to do the most cost effective thing for the ratepayers, but Tong said the decision was not taken lightly.

The workers at Southland disAbility Enterprises were at the front of their minds, he said.

Southland disAbility Enterprises board chair Stephen O'Connor said the councils had put the recycling contract out to tender to test the market and see if its price was fair and reasonable.

"As a ratepayer I would suggest that's the prudent thing to do."

He confirmed Southland disAbility Enterprises would enter the tender process.

"People are upset and uncertain about the future but it's not a done deal, hopefully our contract stacks up and we are re-ordered the contract and life goes on.

"We are hoping it won't come down to just dollars and cents."

Southland disAbility Enterprises general manager Hamish McMurdo said his biggest concern was for the future of the workers if the contract was lost.

They loved going to work each day, they made friends and improved their interpersonal and job skills.

"It would be a devastating loss for these people not to have a job to come to every day."

If they were not at work it would affect their families who may have to give up their jobs to look after them.

"There's quite a social impact on the community if these guys aren't here doing what is a meaningful task for the community.

"We really need this place for the future of our disabled people in the region."

Paul Burtenshaw, who has worked at Southland disAbility Enterprises for 12 years, said he didn't want to leave because his mates were at the plant.

Greg Duncan, who has worked at the plant for 28 years, said the other workers were family.

"It would be sad to leave because I would miss all the people."