Living near landfill 'horrible' and bad for health, north Auckland woman claims

Wednesday, 24 October 2018

A woman has spoken about her 'horrible' experience living near a dump at a public meeting held to oppose plans for a landfill on a deadly stretch of north Auckland road.

On Wednesday, October 17, residents from Wellsford and Warkworth discussed private company Waste Management's plans for the new landfill in the Dome Valley, which was predicted to add 450 return vehicle trips a day to SH1, a road which had claimed at least 11 lives since 2006.

Julia, who didn't want her surname published, spoke about her experience living near the company's Redvale landfill, which was expected to stop receiving waste in 2028, for six years.

'What was it like to live next to the dump? It was horrible.

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'We were constantly getting cut off and stuck behind these trucks, where rubbish was flying out the back. I have had to dodge flying bits of wood and plastic bags.'

Dust from the trucks would create a slick layer on the road, which would become 'lethally slippery' when it rained, she said.

But the smell was the worst part, she said. 'I personally felt that the air quality affected my health.

She was one of around 100 Wellsford, Warkworth and Dome Valley residents who attended the meeting to air concerns over road safety and the environmental impact of the landfill.

At the meeting, residents planned roadside protests, which took place over Labour weekend, strategically targeting holiday traffic.

'I think we do have to fight it, and I think 300 [return trips by] trucks coming up over the dome is absolute insanity,' Julia said.

As well as road safety, residents shared confusion over why Waste Management had not included parts of the Hoteo River in the proposed site map.

Leane Barry, who lived in a neighbouring property, previously told Stuff that part of the river ignored by the plan ran through her property.

'I don't know why that's been omitted. We've got long and short-tail eels and giant eels. [The landfill] is going to make a huge impact on those waterways.'

Waste Management managing director Tom Nickels wouldn't explain why parts of the river had been left out of the map, but said it was designed to include significant aspects of the proposed landfill, as familiar reference points for the local community.

Waste Management predicted the landfill would add 300 return trips by waste trucks and 150 by service vehicles to SH1.

Nickels said plans for the landfill had considered a number of design features to address environmental impacts. 

'Already included is the land buffer which is significantly larger than our current Auckland landfill at Redvale. This distance between the landfill and the nearest residences will make sure any stray odours or excessive noise do not travel off-site.'

Nickels said if its consent was rejected, Waste Management would reconsider its approach.

'Consent conditions are also expected to place very tight limits on the proposed landfill. We will be required to meet these conditions which will cover matters such as odour controls and noise.'

Waste Management took ownership of the Dome Valley site, Springhill Estate, on October 9 and had approval from the Overseas Investment Office to purchase Matariki Forest, which it planned to do at the conclusion of the landfill's consent process.

Waste Management would host an open day at the Springhill estate between 9am and 1pm on Saturday, October 27,