Hurunui District Council

Media Release 23 March 2004

Landfill Decision Welcomed

The Mayor of Hurunui is welcoming today’s announcement that will see a regional landfill established at Kate Valley in North Canterbury as part of the region’s total waste management strategy.

The Hurunui District Council is one of six councils and two private waste companies involved in Transwaste Canterbury, the joint venture company that applied for the resource consents for the Kate Valley site.

A panel of four independent Commissioners heard evidence in an exhaustive and comprehensive resource consent process in late 2002 and early 2003, and granted consents to Transwaste in April 2003. Transwaste appealed a small number of the conditions attached to these consents and two other groups appealed the entire decision.

The Environment Court heard evidence relating to the appeals in October and November 2003. The Court’s decision was released earlier today. A copy of this can be found on the council’s website – www.hurunui.govt.nz

“We will need to take some time to review the decision in its entirety. This has been a comprehensive process under the Resource Management Act. While this decision will be disappointing for some people in our community, it has to be accepted that the process has been thorough, proper and fair. It is now time to move forward,” says Hurunui Mayor Mr Tony Arps.

“The Council will ensure appropriate monitoring of the site and consent conditions will occur so the site is operated in a way that is consistent with the intention of the consent granted.”

“Transwaste will now move onto the physical development of a modern, environmentally sound landfill, which will be operated in accordance with the highest international standards. It will also create jobs and revenue that could directly benefit this District. The Kate Valley option is not only environmentally sound but also cost-effective. The Hurunui District Council could have not afforded to establish a landfill to the standard that is promised by Transwaste.”

Mayor Tony Arps says the focus now for him and the Council is working towards the goal of zero-waste to landfill by 2015.

“This target is dependent on the people of our District and the wider Canterbury community. In recent times we have noticed an increase in waste and an increase in recycling which suggests that people are consuming more now than ever before. We will need to work with other Canterbury communities to encourage the reduction of waste and the reuse and recycling of material that would otherwise end up in a landfill. The stark reality is that waste levels in our society are increasing. Each of us has a responsibility – whether as private citizens or businesses – we need to think about every scrap of waste and whether it can be recycled or reused or whether it can be replaced with something that can be recycled or reused.”

“Finally, I want to thank and praise all those who contributed to the regional landfill process in a constructive manner and those who continue to support waste minimisation initiatives. We must work together so as to get closer to our goal of zero-waste to landfill by 2015,” concluded Mayor Tony Arps.

ENDS

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