February 7 2023
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Deluge defines landfill opposition u by Paul Campbell
The government-acknowledged ‘biggest climate event in New Zealand history’ has dramatically reinforced the community battle against the siting of a mega landfill in the Dome Valley and the perceived environmental threat to the Kaipara Harbour.
Red alert for torrential rain
Unprecedented rain for Auckland also saw Kaipara receive its first-ever redlevel heavy rain warning …
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A time-lapse of town’s progress
The Dargaville Community Development Board has been busy promoting a makeover for the town for the …
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Arts celebrate cultural connection
Waitangi Day celebrations last weekend included a large arts and culture focus, with Dargaville’s creative …
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With up to 400mm of rainfall falling across the region and Auckland resulting in loss of life and widespread property and infrastructure damage, the Fight the Tip movement opposed to the proposed dump for Auckland’s rubbish by Waste Management Ltd says its case has been proven. FTT is currently joined by iwi, councils, Forest and Bird and the Department of Conservation in an ongoing Environment Court appeal against the landfill. “This rain and damage across the area have reinforced our stand,” said FTT executive member Sue Crockett. “It has amply demonstrated that the land around the Dome Valley slips and slides all over the place.” She said her group was meeting with its legal team following the downpour and its slip damage in the Dome Valley and adjacent roads and severe flooding, as demonstrated in accompanying photos with this report. “The events of the past week have quite simply confirmed what we have been saying and that is this is no place for a rubbish dump.” FTT and other litigants say the dump is proposed in the catchment of the Hōteo River that feeds into the Kaipara Harbour, as
well as an arm of the Mahurangi River flowing eastwards. Fellow FTT executive Michelle Carmichael says that adverse weather road conditions also impact the tip site plan. “We both got stranded in Warkworth on Friday night and couldn’t return to Wellsford as all roads were cut off due to flooding and slips. So for 12 hours, Waste Management wouldn’t have been able to access their landfill site either under those circumstances.” Included in FTT’s post-storm consultations will be the chair of the Ngāti Manuhiri Omaha Marae, Annie Baines, continuing another development in the tip saga after the iwi’s settlement trust decided to support that Waste Management case in return for project involvement and an assurance that $10 million would be paid in the event of environmental damage. Ms Baines’ marae has continued to vehemently oppose the trust decision. “If there is a silver lining in this latest development it is that it will raise public awareness of the battle that the Ngāti Manuhiri people face with their settlement trust, and I’m sure there are many others around the country,” said Michelle. “With this clear unenvironmental decision, Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust took a
p Springhill Farm at the corner of Wayby Valley Road, where the Hōteo River floods downstream from the landfill site
p The Mahurangi River in full flood
treacherous sledgehammer to years of united support between iwi and community about this proposal. The system is wrong, because how is it morally right that a company and one mana whenua entity, without regard for others, can decide that $10 million makes it OK to pollute the very same environment that is being restored with at least $300 million of public money? (The current Kaipara Moana Remediation Fund project).” ¢
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