Much to be done to meet conditions: landfill firm

ALTHOUGH Southland’s largest landfill has been granted all the consents required to take as much waste as it wants, there is still much work to do to enable that, the company behind the dump says.

In July last year, Environment Southland granted resource consents to AB Lime Ltd allowing the company to extend the life of its Winton landfill by 25 years.

The landfill’s footprint, overall capacity, final finished profile and overall physical area are not to change from what has already been authorised by existing consents.

At the time of the decision, the company was still awaiting the outcome of consent applications to the Southland District Council concerning noise and roading.

In November last year, independent commissioner Allan Cubbit approved AB Lime’s resource consent application, with a range of conditions.

AB Lime general manager Steve Smith said the firm was still working through all those prerequisites to enable the use of the consent.

‘‘It’s one thing to be granted consent. We now need to put in place all the management plans and infrastructure to be able to comply with those consents.’’

In the meantime the company continued to be restricted to taking 100,000 tonnes of waste a year, Mr Smith said.

When all conditions imposed had been met, AB Lime would need to engage with Environment Southland again to gain its approval to begin operating.

‘‘The environment standards have increased so much between 2004 [when the last consent was granted] to now. ’’

The community was concerned about the increase in volume, but the positive side was that compliance standards had ‘‘hugely improved’’.

‘‘It is frustrating it is taking so long, yes, but . . . people probably appreciate the amount of work that needs to be put into it to actually make it happen.

‘‘It is green light as far as getting all the consents, but it is not a green light to say ‘go’.’’

It was hard to say if it would be possible, but he would like to see all the conditions met by the end of the year, Mr Smith said.

Consent includes the obligation to operate the facility under agreed environmental and operation management plans, maintain a clean and tidy site and operate the landfill within the notional boundary noise limits.

The company must also undertake a noise monitoring survey within six months of the decision and then again six months after the second weighbridge has been installed.

Additional monitoring surveys may be required should noise complaints be received.

It is also conditional pest management strategies be implemented as required and contaminants in the soil be managed to protect human health.

However, one the main concerns of the council was the increase in heavy traffic in the area with this proposal, Mr Cubbit’s decision said.

This had been addressed with the agreement AB Lime be responsible for 50% of the maintenance, reseal and pavement renewal cost at designated parts of Cahill and Bend Rds, it said.

The firm must take all practicable steps to minimise the potential for litter spillage into roads and nearby properties and is responsible for the removal of it if necessary.

The facility will only accept solid waste delivered by approved vehicles. Waste from the general public will not be received.

It has also been suggested a community liaison committee be established to meet on a regular basis to discuss matters associated with the operation of the landfill.

The company has five years to meet the conditions of the consent.