Council kicks waste incinerator decision up the chain

Thursday, 8 February 2024

Two councils are now calling for a higher power to decide whether a waste-to-energy plant should go ahead in Te Awamutu.

On Wednesday, the Waipā District Council joined the Waikato Regional Council (WRC) in asking the Environment Minister to “call-in” a proposal which could see Global Contracting Solutions incinerate up to 150,000 tonnes of rubbish a year at a purpose-built $200m plant in Racecourse Rd.

The rubbish, much of it trucked in from outside the district, would be used to generate electricity from steam and the proposal has prompted more than 1700 submissions, the vast majority against the proposal, to both councils.

In December, the Waikato Regional Council asked Environment Minister Penny Simmonds to call in the proposal so that greenhouse gas emissions could be considered.

It’d mean that, instead of the proposal being heard by a panel of independent commissioners, it is “called in” by the minister for a board of enquiry or the Environment Court to consider.

Waipā District Council growth and regulatory services group manager Wayne Allan said given the huge community interest in the proposal, it was important the decision-making process was clear, consistent and as easy as possible to navigate.

“We don’t want to have one hearing process running while WRC advocates for something else. Having just one process that both entities support will be far less confusing,” he said.

“That’s really important given nearly 600 submitters have advised us they want to have their say and speak to their submission when the time comes.”

The council asked the minister to set up a board of inquiry to be held in Te Awamutu, which was strongly supported by elected members, Allan said.

“A Board of Inquiry process is less confronting than the Environment Court for our lay-community submitters and is less likely to require lawyers, and their additional cost, for our submitters.”

Angie Barrowcliffe and her partner Ethan Moir are members of the Don’t Burn Waipā committee, which was set up by locals unhappy with the proposal.

“We don’t just not want these [incinerators] built locally, but nation-wide,” Barrowcliffe said.

“We believe that calling-in the application is a good thing because a similar incinerator application in the Waimate district has already been called in.”

The group has set up stalls at local events and market days, has had T-shirts printed and signs put up to help educate locals about the proposal.

“Most people here are against this,” she said.

“I live just down the road, and the sheer amount of trucks coming in and out of town I don’t think residents would like at all.”

Many did not know just how big the plant would be and how close it was to their homes, she said.

“Plus there’s the big issue of poisoning our land, air and water … it just doesn’t make any sense.”

Waipā mayor Susan O'Regan said it was new technology to New Zealand, “and as with all sorts of new technology there is a steep learning curve … this technology may be sound, but we are yet to find out”.

She said most of the opposition to the project was around its physical location and the lack of certainty for locals about the impact it would have on their lives.

“I can’t recall any proposals that have gained so much interest - it was certainly the most number of submissions we have ever had for a resource consent.”

She said having the proposal heard by the minister, instead of two councils, was common sense both practically and logistically.

“Passing it to the minister would enable wider issues to be incorporated … with a broader scope than what we could deal with,” she said.