14 April 2021
Official Information Request 8140008303
(Please quote this in any correspondence)
William Foster
By email:
[FYI request #14913 email]
Dear William
Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA)
Re: New Regional Landfill
Thank you for your information request dated 15 March 2021, for information about
management of waste as a Long Term Plan issue.
The specific details of your request and our response is below.
The 2021-2031 10 Year Budget (Long Term Plan) consultation document and
supporting documents are consultation documents following the special procedure
requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 (LGA).
These long term plan documents make no reference to a new regional landfil . Nor
does any new regional landfil provision appear in the Auckland Plan 2050.
The private proposal to establish a regional landfil at Wayby valley has received
significant attention and the plan change and resource consent application to vary the
Unitary Plan are currently under consideration by Commissioners.
Management of regional waste is a significant and important issue and Auckland
Council (AC)’s plans for that are set out in Auckland’s Waste Management and
Minimisation Plan of 2018 which aims for zero waste by 2040 and has no reference to
a new regional landfil .
Please provide any documents associated with the preparation of the Long Term Plan
consultation documents that:
* refer to the proposal for a new regional landfil in the Wayby Val ey (or elsewhere);
* identify whether the provision of a new regional landfil is a significant or important
issue or choice;
* refer to whether or not provision of, or for, a new regional landfil should be provided
for in the proposed long term plan;
* consider how the local authority is informing discussions with its communities
about this choice; or
* refer to whether AC is complying with the requirements of the LGA by not including
reference to the new landfil in the consultation document, or by failing to refer to
whether or not AC has any plans for a new regional landfil or alternatives for waste
disposal.
The Long-term Plan (LTP) consultation document sets out the proposed investment plans for
the Auckland Council group for the next 10 years and how it proposed to pay for those
investments.
Private Bag 92300, Auckland 1142 |
aucklandcouncil.govt.nz |
Ph 09 301 0101
Auckland Council is satisfied that the LTP consultation document complies with all relevant
legislative requirements and notes that it has also been audited and the Deputy Auditor-
General has confirmed (in his opinion included in the consultation document) that he is
satisfied that the consultation document is fit for purpose.
The new regional landfil is being proposed by Waste Management New Zealand which is
not part of the Auckland Council group and is therefore outside the scope of the LTP. The
council’s primary role in relation to this proposal is in regard to its regulatory and planning
functions under the Resource Management Act 1991.
Auckland Council does not hold any documents or information,
associated with the
preparation of the Long Term Plan consultation, regarding a new regional landfil . We are
therefore unable to provide the information you have requested, in accordance with Section
17(e) of the LGOIMA, as the documents alleged to contain the information requested do not
exist.
Auckland Council’s decision on the above response was made by Ross Tucker, General
Manager, Financial Strategy and Planning.
Al councils in New Zealand are required by the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 to adopt a
Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP). Auckland’s WMMP has an aspirational
goal of Zero Waste by 2040 and actions to reduce and minimise waste production in
Auckland. The private proposal to establish a landfil at Wayby valley is a private venture
including applications in accordance with the Resource Management Act 1991 that have
been submit ed to Auckland Council as the relevant consenting authority. Consideration of
these applications, which include the proposed location, construction and operation of this
facility, lies with Regulatory Services against the provisions set out in the Auckland Unitary
Plan, Resource Management Act 1991 and other relevant planning documents. It does not
fall within the WMMP
.
Our Resource Consents department have explained that anyone can apply for consent to
construct and operate a landfil , regional or otherwise. Every application is assessed on its
merits under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) and the Auckland Unitary Plan,
along with any other relevant statutory documents such as the National Policy Statement for
Freshwater Management 2020.
As with all consent applications those for landfil s are considered against the notification
‘tests’ of the RMA. Applications for regional landfil s, as opposed to cleanfil s for example,
are likely to be publicly notified, affording the public the opportunity to formally submit on the
proposal. Should any submitters ask to speak to their submission a public hearing would be
scheduled where the applicant and submitters can share their views.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review of this response by the Ombudsman.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or freephone 0800 802 602.
If you have any further queries, please contact me on 09 301 0101 quoting official
information request number 8140008303.
Yours sincerely
Samantha Sinclair
Senior Privacy & Official Information Business Partner
Governance Services
Private Bag 92300, Auckland 1142 |
aucklandcouncil.govt.nz |
Ph 09 301 0101
