Update 2 March 2020

This is the first Auckland Regional Landfill email update for 2020.

What’s happening with the consent process?

Since lodging our resource consent application, followed by our private plan change request with Auckland Council last year, we have been responding to questions from Council about the applications.  

We have now nearly completed that step of the process. Council has advised the earliest that joint public notification of both the resource consent application and the private plan change (subject to Council approval) will happen in late March or April.

When it does happen, a notice will go in newspapers and online, and Council will also directly notify people who they determine may be affected by the proposal, as well as those who have an interest. This includes mana whenua, the Auckland District Health Board, and the Department of Conservation amongst others.

All the documentation will be available to view on the council website. In addition, Council has advised that they will provide copies of the resource consent applications, the private plan change , all supporting technical reports, as well as Waste Management’s responses to the Council’s questions, in the Warkworth and Wellsford public libraries and the Warkworth, Orewa, and Graham Street (CBD) service centres (see below for details).

Want to know more about the steps in the resource consenting process?

To learn more about the process, there is a section on MfE’s website called An everyday guide: Applying for a resource consent here.

Where to find the consent documentation

On the day of public notification, all updated application documentation (including the answers to the technical questions asked by Council’s experts) will be made available on the Auckland Council website.

Also, printed copies of the responses to the questions asked by Council will be added to the application documentation at Auckland Council’s service centres or libraries in these locations:

• Auckland CBD: Graham Street Service Centre, 35 Graham St, Auckland
• Warkworth: Warkworth Service Centre, 1 Baxter St
• Wellsford: Wellsford War Memorial Library, 13 Port Albert Rd
• Orewa: Orewa Service Centre, 50 Centreway Rd

You can also contact Warwick Pascoe, Principal Project Lead at Auckland Council, by email at warwick.pascoe@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz to arrange a copy of the resource consent documentation to be provided electronically.

Increasing the buffer

As you may be aware, the proposed site has a buffer distance from the landfill itself of more than 2km to the Hoteo River and more than 1km to the nearest existing residential house, which is consistent with good buffer distances recognised internationally.

To further improve the buffer with adjoining land and neighbours in the future, should the proposal be approved, Waste Management is pleased to have recently received OIO approval to purchase another smaller property which was otherwise landlocked within our site.

In addition, Waste Management has already commenced discussions with Department of Conservation in order to provide walking access through the bush area on this new buffer land.

Did you know… At-risk weweia spotted at Redvale

Earlier this month Department of Conservation visitors to our Redvale Landfill & Energy Park in Dairy Flat were excited to spot some weweia, or New Zealand dabchicks. The weweia is currently extinct in the South Island, and is slowly recovering in the North Island.

Our team at Redvale has been sighting the weweia for some time now. It likes to swim and has been making the most of Redvale’s stormwater ponds, alongside many other aquatic birds.

Consultation continues

Since our last update, we have continued meeting with community and iwi groups, including hosting visits to Redvale Landfill & Energy Park. Our community consultation will be ongoing and, as always, we invite you to contact us on arl@wastemanagement.co.nz or 0800 927 837 with any questions or feedback you may have.