Landfill opponents come together
Environmental lawyer Andrew Braggins took questions from the crowd.
Unity, hope and determination were on display in Wellsford today, when around 200 people packed into the Community Centre for an anti-landfill hui organised by Fight the Tip: Tiaki Te Whenua.
An enthusiastic and vocal crowd loudly applauded vows from Fight the Tip members, MPs, councillors, iwi leaders and an environmental lawyer to fight Waste Management and Auckland Council and stop the development of a new regional dump in the Dome Valley. Welcome to the second battle in front of us, Fight the Tip executive Mikaera Miru said. The whole community, Maori and Pakeha, are together fighting against bureaucrats who are simply not listening to who we are.
Countering the critics: Waste Management’s case
Mahurangi Matters questioned Waste Management after commissioners decided to grant their resource consent application for a landfill in the Dome Valley …
WM must be pleased with the decision of the commissioners. However, opposition to the landfill has been enormous with a demonstration (hikoi) down Queen Street, a rahui placed on the landfill site by local iwi, objections by political leaders of all persuasions (e.g. Chris Penk, Marja Lubeck, Greg Sayers, Dr Jason Smith). Does WM accept that the local community emphatically does not want a landfill? Do you have a message to those passionately opposed to the landfill?
Hill St funded
Work on the new-look Hill Street could start as early as next year.
A major upgrade to the troubled Hill Street intersection now looks certain after Auckland Council’s Planning Committee confirmed funding for it last week.
The Planning Committee overwhelmingly voted for a revised Regional Land Transport Plan, which included $4.7 million to fix Hill Street.
The funding was due to be confirmed by the Auckland Transport (AT) board this week, but Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers said this was essentially a rubber-stamping exercise.
The $4.7 million represents only one quarter of the cost of fixing Hill Street, the remainder of the money will have to come from the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA).
Landfill timeline and community opposition
A community united in opposition
Mahurangi Matters sought the views of community leaders in the wake of the commissioners’ decision to grant a resource consent to allow a landfill in the Dome Valley …
Dr Jason Smith
Mayor of Kaipara District Council (KDC)
I am extremely disappointed. The KDC’s elected members voted unanimously to put in a submission rejecting the idea of a landfill, which we did. My feeling is that the broad range of concerns that we had, including about the impacts on traffic and on the future of the waterways, have not been addressed. Waste Management themselves cannot guarantee in perpetuity that the lining of any proposed landfill will last forever. There comes a future point when it is going to fail. In 20, 50 or 500 years from now, people will say what on earth were they thinking? I still believe New Zealand can find better solutions to disposing of waste rather than having a hole in the ground in the bush.