Concerns about legitimacy of Levin landfill agreement

Veronica from Levin

Assurances were given by Horowhenua District Council chief executive David Clapperton that, "he would convince councillors" to vote in favour of closing the Levin landfill by 2025.

David Moore of Ngāti Pareraukawa made the statement at a 17 March public meeting organised by Horowhenua District Ratepayers and Residents Association Inc (HDRRAI) to inform members and the public about a controversial Levin landfill agreement signed by only five of eleven parties.

The statement made by Mr Moore, and refusal of the majority to sign the agreement, adds to a growing concern about the legitimacy of the agreement signed by the Council, HDRRAI, Horowhenua Environmental Kaitiaki Association (HEKA), Ngati Raukawa hapu Ngati Pareraukawa and Peter Everton of Everton Farm Ltd and Lakeview Farm Ltd.

Council's 2017 Significance and Engagement Policy says the Council is legally required to consult the public under Special Consultative Procedure (SCP), "in a meaningful way" as defined by Section 14 of the Local Government Act requiring local authorities to, "conduct its business in an open, transparent and democratically accountable manner."

The parties that didn’t sign include Water and Environmental Care Association (WECA), Palmerston North City Environmental Trust and four individual parties to an Environment Court appeal about odour and leachate concerns at Levin landfill. Mr Moore said over 400 odour complaints have been made in the last four to five years.

Of the five parties to sign the agreement HDRRAI chair Christine Moriarty was also one of three lead negotiators for HEKA and HEKA chair Geoff Keith is also chair of WECA that did not sign the agreement.

Trevor Hinder of WECA said WECA had "stepped away" so that if the Council did not conform to conditions of the agreement WECA would take Council "back to Court."

Environmental campaigner, former member of WECA and life time member of HDRRAI Christina Paton said HEKA was not an incorporated entity yet the statutory title was included on the legal agreement demonstrating, "the parties do not know how to conduct themselves at a basic level."

Ms Moriarty replied, "I can't answer that question. The Environment Court judge chose to accept that HEKA could use the incorporated title."

Mrs Paton also asked how HDRRAI interpreted who comprised "the community" in relation to clauses recommending a new Community Neighbourhood Liaison Group (CNLG) be established.

"Please contact other ratepayer associations throughout the district and get them to come on board to be part of the community," she said.

Former Horowhenua Greypower president and long-time ratepayer member Lew Rohloff asked where the waste would go if the tip closed - which the agreement does not address at all.

"We need to know what is happening in wider terms," he said.