Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua Opposes Dome Valley Landfill Plan Change and Resource Consent Applications

E ngā mana, e ngā reo tēnā tātou kātoa ngā Uri o Ngāti Whātua

Ngā kōrerorero Pitopito o te wā

DOME VALLEY UPDATE
08/05/2020

This edition is themed around keeping our Uri informed of the current Dome Valley Landfill Application by Waste Management, Auckland Council Process regarding submissions and important messages from Kaumātua and local community regarding the rāhui that has been placed over the Hoteo River and the Rūnanga's approach to work in collaboration with key stakeholders, hāpu and Iwi to help create solutions as one strong unit. Whakakotahitanga ia mātou!

If you would like to voice your concerns then submit your submission to Auckland Council before 26 May 2020!

TE RŪNANGA O NGĀTI WHĀTUA OPPOSES DOME VALLEY LANDFILL PLAN CHANGE AND RESOURCE CONSENT APPLICATIONS

On 26 March 2020, Auckland Council notified applications for a Plan Change and Resource Consent for the proposed Dome Valley landfill (also known as 1232 State Highway 1, Wayby Valley).

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua will oppose the landfill and we encourage our Uri to do the same. The landfill will do irreversible damage to papatuanuku and will pose significant ongoing risks to the sustainability and mauri of the Hoteo River, Kaipara Moana, and the broader environment. Waste Management NZ, who are the applicants, can give no guarantees that toxic leachate and other pollutants will not find their way to Kaipara Moana. Submissions on both applications close on 26 May.

Click here to view the Proposed Auckland Regional Landfill Resource Consent Application, click here to view the Private Plan Change Request, a link to make submissions, and a large number of supporting reports. For further information please click here to view FAQ.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua insist that instead of locking in another outdated landfill for the next 35-years, Government and Auckland Council should be moving the country to alternative greener and newer technologies. Earlier this year Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua discussed the landfill proposal with Te Kahu o Taonui, the Iwi Chairs of Taitokerau. There was unanimous support for new technology to be used.

Recycling waste to energy is a technology that is already used around the world and it does not produce the pollution that we get from landfills. In a post-covid-19 world we must be greener and cleaner in what we do, and this technology can help us achieve this outcome.

In January this year the Rūnanga facilitated a meeting between Waste Energy NZ, Olivine NZ, and representatives from Ngāti Whātua katoa. At this meeting the two external groups talked about their respective technologies. The result was Uri gave their support to the alternative waste to energy technology. We are continuing discussions with Olivine NZ about this alternative approach. Without a better alternative the landfill will likely go ahead.

Click here for information on this alternative technology.

To help guide us through the RMA processes, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua have engaged Rob Enright, an Auckland based barrister. Rob has a strong background in working with many Iwi on environmental issues.

During the past week we have prepared draft submissions to the Plan Change and Landfill applications.

Click here to access the draft Resource Consent submission and click here for the draft Plan Change Submission.

We would appreciate receiving your feedback on the drafts before they are finalised. They will continue to be updated as we move towards the deadline of 26 May 2020, so keep checking for updates during the next 2-3 weeks. We expect the grounds for opposing both applications will be largely the same.

We encourage as many of our people to make individual submissions on the applications. Feel free to use any information from the Rūnanga submissions. The more submissions that the Council receive raising relevant cultural and other environmental effects in opposition the better.

To help us prepare the Rūnanga submissions and advance our Ngāti Whātua position, we have established a forum for our Marae, Uri, and Post Settlement Governance Entities (PSGEs). We have held one zoom meeting and intend to have more as we move our way through the process. If you wish to be part of these meetings, and or you wish to comment on the Rūnanga submission, please register your interest at Runanga@ngatiwhatua.iwi.nz

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua have written to Waste Management and Auckland Council regarding our concerns about half the consultation process being run while under the Level 4 lockdown. Both organisations are failing in their statutory responsibilities to properly consult with Iwi and the public by deciding to run the consultation process while in a state of emergency. The thresholds for consultation that have been set down by the Courts and Waitangi Tribunal are unable to be met.

We will keep you posted on any new developments.

VIEW ARTICLE

AUCKLAND COUNCIL WEBSITE:

If you would like to view the Waste Management Application and would like to have your say on the resource consent, please click on the below link to view directly.

SUBMISSIONS CLOSE, 26 MAY 2020!

Guidance around submitting an application.

• Submissions do not need to be in any great detail, but can simply outline the concerns held. Submitter's can provide further information at the hearing (likely to be towards the end of the year at the earliest, affording you at least four extra months to prepare) provided this is in line with the submission;

• The Council can accept late submissions up to the commencement of the hearing. Whether late submissions will be accepted is something the hearing panel(s) will determine, however Council staff will support any late submissions made within a reasonable time frame prior to the hearing. WMNZ have also advised that they won’t oppose any late submissions up until the point when Council’s report is pre-circulated (being 15 working days prior to the commencement of the hearing).

CLICK HERE TO VIEW LINK

COVID-19 UPDATE: WE ARE CURRENTLY IN LEVEL 3! KIA KAHA TATOU.

Thames-Coromandel District Council - Alert Level 3 protections ...

For further information please click on the Covid-19 link: https://covid19.govt.nz/

VIEW KEY MESSAGES FROM OUR CHAIR

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Open Hauora Forum
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua would like to invite you to attend the “Open Hauora Forum” via Zoom and Facebook Live stream on Wednesday 13 May at 7:00 pm.
We will keep you updated on our facebook page with further details.
For more information contact Boyd Broughton General Manager for Te Hā Oranga email: boyd.broughton@tehaoranga.co.nz
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/NgatiWhatuaRunanga/

Website:
Check out our new website whānau and complete our new online registration:
https://www.ngatiwhatua.iwi.nz/

Te Hā Oranga Website:
Check their interactive website!
http://www.tehaoranga.com
www.tehaoranga.com

IMPORTANT: If you have any upcoming events that are themed around our whānau o Ngāti Whātua email the details to: Joesephine.nathan@ngatiwhatua.iwi.nz

Ngā mihi mahana,
Ngā Karere, Pou Whiri Pārongo: Communications

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