My Account
Waste Management has been granted consent to build a regional landfill in the Dome Valley, just north of Warkworth.
In a decision released this afternoon, the majority of the Hearing Panel were satisfied, subject to some amendments, that the effects on the environment of the construction and operation of the new landfill are acceptable and consistent with all the relevant planning and strategic documents guiding the use and development of landfills in the Auckland region. But, the chair Sheena Tepania wanted the consent refused.
The new regional landfill facility will have a footprint of about 60 hectares, with capacity to contain about 25.8 million cubic metres of municipal solid waste.
The majority of commissioners found that the proposal by Waste Management to place the landfill in a steeply sided valley at the centre of a large site with, extensive environmental mitigation measures,were factors of the application that weighed in its favour.
They found that the “extensive, multi-layered actions to be taken to contain and safely dispose of landfill leachate” were of particular importance in coming to their conclusions.
“We have had particular regard to the effects on cultural values and on ecology, recognising cultural values and ecology as being of particular importance to our considerations of the application,” they said.
They added that the positive benefits to the region of being able to provide a landfill that would take the waste of Auckland were also significant.
However, commission chair Sheena Tepania – a minority voice on the panel – considered the consent should be refused as the range of adverse effects on the environment, both during construction and operation, would be significant, and could not be avoided or mitigated.
Commissioner Tepania also did not consider that the application could be supported by the relevant provisions of the statutory planning documents.
Michelle Carmichael of Fight the Tip, Save the Dome described the decision by the majority of the Commissioners as “unbelievable”, particularly in the light of a hundreds submitters opposing the landfill, including Government entities such as the Department of Conservation, plus other groups such as Kaipara District Council, local iwi and Forest & Bird
But Ms Carmichael vowed that the fight does not end and Fight the Tip would file a case in the Environment Court.
