Waste to energy plant proposal to go to Board of Inquiry

There are six more weeks for people to share their views on the proposed waste-to-energy plant for Te Awamutu, which is now being considered as an issue of ‘national significance’.

The Minister for the Environment, Hon Penny Simmonds, has directed a Board of Inquiry to decide on the resource consent application by Global Contracting Solutions Ltd to build and operate a plant in Racecourse Road.

The proposed facility will take around 480 tonnes of refuse each day, including plastic, tyres, car bodies, commercial and industrial waste. Burning the rubbish will be used to generate steam, to be turned into electric power.

Nearly 900 public submissions have already been made to Waipā District Council. These will all be considered by the Board of Inquiry – they do not need to be re-lodged and all previous requests to speak at the hearing will be taken on board. Submissions previously made to the regional council will also be automatically lodged with the board.

But anyone who wishes to make a new or further submission now has until 5pm on Wednesday, December 18 to do so – however, they must send it directly to the Environmental Protection Authority.

The resource consent applications for the plant were initially made to Waipā District Council and Waikato Regional Council, but the councils referred it to the Minister for the Environment. This was due both to its significance and the huge community interest in the proposal, and so greenhouse gas emissions could be considered in the decision-making process.

In her decision to call the application in and direct to a Board of Inquiry, the Minister agreed the proposal was of national significance, as it “has aroused widespread public concern due to its actual or likely effect on the environment”, and because the proposed technology and processes are new to New Zealand.

A Board of Inquiry has nine months to hold a hearing and make the final decision, independent from the Minister and the Environmental Protection Authority.

The Minister will select the board, which must have between three and five members and is usually chaired by either a retired High Court Judge or a current, former or retired Environment Court Judge. The other board members are selected based on their local knowledge, understanding of the Resource Management Act 1991, knowledge of tikanga Māori and relevant expertise. In this case, the Minister has directed that the board must include a person nominated by the Waikato River Authority.

The board will consider the application documents, all submissions, information provided by the Waipā District and Waikato Regional Councils, expert evidence, and all views and evidence presented at the hearing.

Both councils have been asked to prepare ‘key interest reports’ about areas to be assessed further. These have been made available on the Environmental Protection Authority website. The authority is not involved with the decision, but provides administrative support to the board, including managing the public submission process.

Waipā District Council is in the process of making its own submission. A workshop for elected members is planned for Wednesday, November 20.

Anyone wanting to make a submission can do so online at the Environmental Protection Authority’s website, https://www.epa.govt.nz/public-consultations/open-consultations/te-awamutu-waste-to-energy-plant/

Submissions close at 5pm on Wednesday, December 18.

You can also submit by email or post – for more information and to download the relevant forms, please visit the Environmental Protection Authority website.