“Waste incineration does not align with tikanga Māori, and is seen by Para Kore as a false solution to solving our waste crisis,” said Jacqui Forbes, Kaihautu of Para Kore.

“Investing in building waste incinerators brings few benefits for communities. Instead we must ensure investment is redirected regionally to local people to build a Te Tiriti-led, zero waste and zero carbon future.”

“Māori communities – our marae, our papakainga – are most at risk from climate change. We cannot allow the building of waste incinerators that lock in contiual waste production and generate massive carbon emissions at the expense of our whakapapa and generations to come.”

Kaipara District Council has decided to investigate the feasibility of a waste-to-energy (WTE) incinerator. Mayor Craig Jepson has invited the Far North District Council, Whangārei District Council, Te Uri o Hau, Northland Inc and Auckland Council as potential partners, with a report due in June. Mayor Jepson spearheaded the failed incinerator project in Meremere back in 2000.

“Our current waste comes from the linear, extractive economy, which is based on maximising profits, not interconnectedness and reciprocity. Incinerating waste sustains this problematic cycle. The linear economy takes natural resources from our atua whānau. It consequently makes stuff, distributes stuff (sometimes globally), uses stuff and then throws it away. Incinerating waste is like creating a landfill in the sky. It continues to cause harm to the environment and not address the systemic issues at the core of our waste problem.”

“Whānau in Te Tai Tokerau have for a long time been rightfully angry about the massive new landfill being created in Dome Valley. It is a toxic project with unacceptable impacts on our iwi, hapū, taiao and hapori. Additional trucks put further congestion on North Auckland’s already broken transport system and adds danger for other road users. But an incinerator wouldn’t solve any of those problems, and in fact it creates more problems as it still needs a landfill for the ash.”

“Within te ao Māori, the relationships between land and humans are intimate. The Earth is our mother and the sky is our father. We are related to mountains, to rocks, to insects, to birds, to the rivers and bush, to all parts of the natural world. They are our ancestors, our relations. We are the teina, the youngest sibling, and part of the family of nature. We identify with landforms and the place.”

“Custodianship is passed down through generations, and the relationship is reciprocal - you look after the land; the land looks after you. Reciprocity is a highly regarded value within te ao Māori. “

“We need to draw on values of manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga to look after Ranginui and Papatūānuku and all the other atua and elements we are related to. The human species needs to get with the programme by living in a way that is compatible with nature where rubbish is not part of the design. The mokopuna of tomorrow are relying on us to do the right thing and demand climate justice. Our mokopuna are our responsibility. Para Kore Marae Incorporated says no to incineration of waste.”

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