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The proposed Dome Valley landfill was at the top of the agenda at a candidates meeting held in Wellsford on Friday, August 30, with the two mayoral hopefuls present both firmly against the idea.
Instead of “outdated” and “toxic” landfills, Craig Lord and Peter Vaughan told the audience of around 100 residents that waste-to-energy plants were not only a better solution, but they each knew companies keen to come to New Zealand, and willing to implement the technology.
Craig Lord
Craig Lord said putting a landfill into the Dome would be “one of the dumbest things you could do”.
“Landfills are weak, you can’t just bulldoze rubbish into the mud,” he said. “There are people overseas waiting to build at cost, they have emailed me. The benefits are substantial. We can dig up old landfills and process them.”
Peter Vaughan
Peter Vaughan, who was present at the recent rahui against Waste Management’s proposals, agreed.
“We can’t have landfills in this country. They’re toxic and emit methane and carbon dioxide, which ends up in the water,” he said.
He said he already had deals ready for advanced waste recycling plants to take all rubbish, old and new, and turn it into electricity, with no polluting side effects.
The meeting was organised by the Land and Contractors Protection Association, who also took candidates on a bus tour of the district before the meeting. As well as the two mayoral candidates, the meeting also heard from Councillor Greg Sayers, Rodney Local Board member Colin Smith and Board candidates Tim Holdgate, Geoff Upson and Steven Law. However, as Cr Sayers and Mr Smith were elected unopposed, and all three Board candidates were from outside the Wellsford subdivision, the only speakers residents could actually vote for were Craig Lord and Peter Vaughan. John Tamihere was expected to be there, but did not turn up.
Both Mr Lord and Mr Vaughan won audience approval for their observation that although the Wellsford area paid a significant amount of Auckland rates, it seemed to receive little in the way of services, and said Council needed a shake-up to make it far more efficient and effective.
“Most of your rates are going to Auckland and not coming back,” Mr Vaughan said. “I’m here because there’s something I can do. I have solutions and everything I do is scientific. We need people working together to make things right.”
Mr Lord likened Council to a car.
“We’re the drivers, Council are mechanics,” he said. “Why does the maintenance team, when we tell them oil is leaking, pump up the tyres and put on a spoiler?
“There’s no leadership. There are so many examples of your money going into niceties instead of necessities. Auckland is being shafted somewhere and that’s why you’re being ignored. I’m going to find where, why and how and stop it.”
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