Residents f ight extension of ‘clean’ waste dump
Furious residents have launched a $10,000 fight against the extension of a ‘clean’ waste dump tucked away in a bush-clad valley, which they fear could pollute their local river.
Hutt City Council wants to increase the size of the Wainuiomata Cleanfill site, and extend its operations. But residents are horrified, saying it was meant to shut in 2017 and be replanted with a nature reserve.
The residents claim prohibited waste – such as plastic bottles, chemical containers and tyres – is being chucked in the site, next to the Wainuiomata River.
And the coastal valley neighbours have earned some heavyweight backing from former prime minister Helen Clark and Parliament’s Speaker, Trevor Mallard.
Cleanfills are only permitted to accept uncontaminated, nondecomposable inert material like soil, rock, brick, or concrete from construction and demolition work.
Sally-ann Moffat and her neighbour Miria O’Regan have started a Give A Little fund to raise $10,000 to pay for a lawyer and planner to fight the resource application.
And Clark has tweeted her support, saying: ‘‘This is a worthy cause and needs support.’’
She added: ‘‘Hope community will be listened to’’, attaching a recycling symbol emoji.
Clark is familiar with the area as her close friend and former ministerial colleague Trevor Mallard lives just 3km from the cleanfill.
Mallard, Parliament’s Speaker, said he was shocked and angry to learn of the plans.
‘‘The cleanfill first got there on a pretty sneaky basis anyway. It is a pristine stream, I’m told it’s the best brown trout fishing stream in the Wellington region, and the stream has previously suffered from runoff from a landfill, which has been closed for a number of years now.’’
More than a decade ago, residents fought a long battle to prevent a battery recycling plan dumping slag at the landfill. And another cleanfill in the area was closed after contamination fears.
‘‘Hutt City Council has treated Wainuiomata very badly. They would never do something like this in Eastbourne. It is because they do see the level of income [in the area] and the inability to fight things,’’ said Mallard.
‘‘I think the council and its officials are just taking the piss out of Wainuiomata.’’
Moffat and O’Regan have accused the council of secrecy, after it quietly sought resource consent to keep the cleanfill open for another 10 years.
The council has since backed down, and agreed the site will close by 2022. But a fresh application will be heard in September to allow the cleanfill to be significantly expanded.
The neighbours say navigating the complex processes and waste management laws are draining – and they don’t believe they can win their fight without hiring experts.
‘‘They are evil geniuses,’’ Moffat said. ‘‘They are so clever, they hide behind, power, privilege and processes because we don’t understand the processes.’’
Moffat, a fashion stylist, said she felt defeated when she learned of the experts’ fees. ‘‘It’s not normal for a layperson to hire them to look over resource consent submissions but it’s the only way we think we have a chance.’’
Local residents have provided Stuff with photos of plastic bottles, tyres and other prohibited materials found at the site. And they say they have witnessed liquid waste also being dumped there.
‘‘The river doesn’t have a voice, and the native eels that live there don’t have a voice, so we have to provide that voice,’’ Moffat said.
Council acting general manager Helen Oram said the cleanfill, which is managed by contractor Dimac, was ‘‘currently compliant and there is a rigorous checking process in place’’. The most recent visit to the site was on July 25, she said.
Oram said the council applied for a new consent for a third stage of the cleanfill in March 2019.
‘‘Those residents who submit are able to have their say at the hearing in September, along with the applicant and the independent planning consultant processing the resource consent,’’ she said.
‘‘The new consent being applied for is for a maximum period of a further 21⁄2-years.
‘‘The proposal before the independent planner states when the area is full, it will be gazetted as reserve, and planted or otherwise developed, following consultation with the community as to their preferences for future use of the area.
She said Greater Wellington Regional Council compliance officers monitor the site twice a year. They have confirmed that ‘‘the appropriate sediment and erosion controls are in place to ensure that neither material in the site, nor any stormwater runoff, can enter the Wainuiomata River.’’
‘‘The river doesn’t have a voice, and the native eels that live there don’t have a voice.’’ Sally-ann Moffat