Greenpeace opposes Kaipara waste solution

A decision by Kaipara District Council to investigate waste-to-energy options as an alternative to landfills has raised the ire of environmental group Greenpeace.

Council decided late last month to investigate options for the establishment of a waste-to-energy plant in conjunction with the councils of Auckland, Whangarei and Far North, Northland Inc, Te Uri o Hau and industry operators.

“We don’t want to leave a legacy of landfills or leachate going into groundwater for generations to come,” deputy mayor Jonathan Larsen says.

“We want to kickstart the conversation with our partners and see what options might be available.”

However, Greenpeace Aotearoa says wasteto-energy options could lock Kaipara into a disastrous deal that will be costly to ratepayers and have negative impacts on people’s health and the climate.

Plastics campaigner Juressa Lee says wasteto-energy poses serious threats to public health and the environment.

“Councils should be supporting waste minimisation and moving toward a circular economy,” she says.

“Cr Larsen wants a modern solution to rubbish and waste disposal, but the only real solution is to make less of it. We don’t need to go searching for techno fixes. We need to shift from a throwaway and singleuse culture, and start supporting systems of refill, reuse and repair.

“We’re in a plastic pollution crisis and it is time to turn the tap off. Putting faith in false solutions risks leaving that tap on and fuelling both the plastic pollution crisis and the climate crisis.

“Cr Larsen says he does not want a legacy of landfills and leachate, but the legacy of incineration around the globe is no less bleak. Similar plants elsewhere have been shown to be more polluting than coal, emitting dioxins, mercury, lead, nitrogen oxide and more.

“We need those who are in positions of power and decision-making to act responsibly, supporting a circular economy for the health of the people, the planet and future generations.”

There are divided opinions on the benefits of waste-to-energy plants, which have emerged following Kaipara’s decision to investigate their viability.

Rates and council debt

A into

The most popular topic for Aucklanders who commented on Auckland Council’s proposed Annual Budget 2023/24, was rates and debt. Individual responses made up more than 90 per cent of feedback on this topic, and while the largest number of these responses (25 per cent) supported the proposed rates and debt package, individuals were more likely to choose greater use of debt over higher rate increases. On council’s shares in the airport, more than half of all individual submissions supported selling at least some of council’s 18.09 per cent shareholding, while a minority supported selling all of the shares. Elected members will now consider the feedback, along with updated budget information, in a series of briefings and workshops. The final budget will be adopted on June 29.