Levin landfill agreement gives sweeping powers to Council
Draconian clauses included in a Horowhenua District Council agreement prevent all present and future members of two influential Horowhenua community advocacy groups from speaking publicly about Levin's landfill.
Hokio Environmental Kaitiaki Association (HEKA) and Horowhenua District Ratepayers and Residents Association Inc (HDRRAI) are included as signatories in a leaked copy of the agreement between the Council and parties to an Environment Court appeal against odour and leachate concerns at Levin’s landfill.
HEKA and the local ratepayer's association have agreed not to, "take, or be associated with supporting in any capacity, enforcement actions, legal proceedings, claims or, inquiries whatsoever against HDC in relation to the Levin Landfill."
Another clause states HEKA and the Horowhenua ratepayer's association will, "Use reasonable endeavours to encourage their members…to follow the provisions of this Agreement and not to take any actions contrary to it."
HEKA is described in the agreement as being "a sub-committee" of HDRRAI but there is no mention of HEKA being a sub-committee of HDRRAI in the ratepayer association's constitution.
Another clause states that HEKA and HDRRAI, "will use best endeavours to ensure that their members do not discuss this agreement publicly until the press release is released."
As at 15 March Council's press release has not been published but this Sunday HDRRAI is holding a public meeting to discuss the agreement.
"Any person from time to time holding the role of president/chair, secretary and/or treasurer (or similar position)" for HEKA and HDRRAI is also prevented from speaking publicly about problems at Levin's landfill.
HEKA and HDRRAI have also agreed to refer complaints about the landfill to an internal Project Management Group (PMG) that will be established rather than to the regional and local council.
A “non-formal" odour complaints register being established by the Council will only be accessible to the PMG which is only required to meet, "at least twice a year."
HEKA and HDRRAI have also agreed to (1) end legal action in the Environment Court (2) support the Council in obtaining variations to resource consent conditions sought by the Council (3) support the Council to obtain the withdrawal of an abatement notice issued by regional council Horizons and support the Council in legal proceedings about environmental effects
Signatories to the agreement also include Ngati Raukawa hapu Ngati Pareraukawa, Palmerston North City Environmental Trust, Water and Environmental Care Association (WECA) and nearby property owners.
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SLASH BESIDE THE TRACK UP TO TRIG
I question the wisdom and the morality of an industry which creates so much waste, waste which is also a cause of widespread and devastating damage. So, I searched the internet for potential uses of slash. It was easy to find.
I recommend a visit to nzbioforestry.co.nz. I quote from the website:
OUR SOLUTION:
NZ Bio Forestry proposes to develop a sustainable renewable forestry model that increases the economic value of the NZ- Aotearoa forestry sector, simply by integrating bio-technologies augmenting the forestry, wood manufacturing, and petrochemistry industries into one model.
Specifically, our strategy is to utilise the whole tree and convert the tree’s sugars into bioenergy, biomaterials, and biochemicals. This means using slash, off cuts, pruning, and wood waste to produce biofuel via bio pellets and biochemicals. It means optimising logs through the whole process….logging, manufacturing freighting, and refining process to serve the many Asia-Pacific markets with high-value products….not just exporting raw logs to one or two large dominant markets! (End of quote)
NZ Bio Forestry then contrasts the financial return from the present exports of raw logs with the potential return from utilising the WHOLE TREE.
In US dollars, the return from exporting logs is between $50 - $140 per log.
Using the whole tree including the slash and other waste for wood processing would return $200 - $800 per tree, and,
Using the bio-refinery process to convert the wood waste into fossil-free biochemicals would return $2,500 - $11,200 per tree.
I can’t help but conclude that our current focus on exporting logs is a pitiful failure of industry and government policy compared with the potential benefits of processing THE WHOLE TREE. And to complete the argument, this not just theory. In Scandinavia, SCA, which owns Europe’s largest private forest with 2.7 million hectares, has built a well-invested value chain that maximises the value of each individual tree and all of the forestry’s resources.
A SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS:
Wood Pellets and Chips: Slash can be collected, dried, and processed into hog fuel or wood pellets for use in industrial boilers, as a replacement for coal, to generate heat and electricity.
Biofuel Production: Research is underway to convert forest residues into marine biofuel to help decarbonize the shipping sector.
Gasification: Advanced, small-scale, on-site processing plants can turn slash into renewable energy products like bio-oil, ethanol, and hydrogen.
Biochemicals: Specialized refineries can convert woody waste into sustainable alternatives to plastics, chemicals, and industrial products.
WAKE UP Aotearoa, New Zealand!!!
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
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