Viewpoint – Other options for landfill

Nobody wants a landfill on their doorstep, they are noisy, smelly and devalue the whole surrounding area, and they do environmental damage that can never be mitigated. The Waste Management (WM), Redvale Landfill in Dairy Flat, is the largest landfill in New Zealand and one of the biggest gas fields. Consented in the early 1990s, it is situated off Dairy Flat Highway, opposite the primary school and adjacent to the Rangitopuni Stream. The landfill takes household rubbish, construction and hazardous waste such as asbestos and nickel slag imported from New Caledonia. 

Long term residents of Dairy Flat will remember being promised that post closure, the landfill would become the ‘Cornwall Park of the North Shore’. I’m not sure if this was a ‘clever’ marketing ploy by WM to get the buy in of the community back then, but given the instability of a large landfill and potential gas issues, etc, it was never going to be a park, well not in our lifetime at least!

The landfill was due to stop receiving waste in 2028 following an Environment Court Decision. Since its inception, the surrounding area has become more built up and modern landfills now have a buffer zone at a one km radius from the site. In today’s world you would never get a landfill consented opposite a school and so close to housing. So, in mid-March, I was just as gobsmacked as the rest of Dairy Flat when I read about WM’s consultation about Auckland’s waste problem. This consultation was not a formal RMA process and in my view was just a box ticking exercise for WM. It was clear from their presentation at the Dairy Flat Hall at the end of March that their intention is to extend the landfill at Dairy Flat until 2036. I imagine that the resource consent application for the extension is ready to go and will be lodged in June, no doubt via the new Fast Track approvals process. 

However, given the contentious nature of the landfill, residents and the school need to have the opportunity to be heard by independent commissioners and must have the right to appeal any decision to the Environment Court. There is capacity in the waste system for Auckland’s household waste to be diverted to other landfills surrounding Auckland post 2028 if needed. However, there are no winners, except for the private waste companies if we keep dumping our waste into landfill . 

As part of my role on the Rodney Local Board, I attend the WM Redvale landfill Community Liaison Committee (CLC) meetings every quarter. WM representatives on the committee have been discussing the promised closure in 2028 for years now and they have always claimed that they would be a good neighbour, with a no surprises policy. Following the announcement from WM, the CLC finally received the six monthly Peer Review Reports for the last three half years. These reports were alarming! I was shocked to read about the fires at the landfill, the landslips, leachate outbreaks, chemicals in sediment ponds exceeding allowed limits, outbreaks of dangerous gases and the list goes on. None of these issues were discussed in our quarterly meetings, so we couldn’t ask questions about what we didn’t know. There is a level of comfort that Council compliance staff did receive the reports. Talking to residents in the area, I had not realised how bad things were with the landfill and odour, they simply had stopped complaining because they did not think that anyone was listening.

On a positive note, our 154 hectare park at Green Road , Dairy Flat is progressing well. This farm park is now being used by horse riders, cross country runners and dog walkers. There is a small carpark and funding for a toilet and some of the pathways and internal bridges. 

Council, with the help of the Friends of Green Road Park, are organising a community planting day on Saturday, June 7, from 10am to 2pm. Parking is at the Green Road carpark and the walk is about 15 minutes to the planting. Bring shoes, a spade (if you have one), gardening gloves, bottle of water and snacks. Green Road Park is Auckland’s largest neighbourhood park.The trees you plant at the planting day will be enjoyed by generations to come and there is something very special about that. To find out more please go to Matariki Community Tree Planting and Walk – OurAuckland

Lastly after three terms on the Rodney Local Board, I am not standing for re-election. It has been an absolute pleasure to serve the community. Thank you for the opportunity.