#Don't Burn Waipa protesters outside Waipā District Council's offices in Te Awamutu. Photo / Julia McCarthy-Fox
#Don't Burn Waipa protesters outside Waipā District Council's offices in Te Awamutu. Photo / Julia McCarthy-Fox
Te Awamutu community members opposed to a proposed waste-to-energy plant have taken to the streets to march against it.
The march took place on Sunday at 11am from the old Bunnings carpark and down the main street towards the Waipā District Council offices.
Paewira, the name of the proposed plant, would use a technology called thermal waste conversion to incinerate waste material, which would otherwise be sent to landfills, to create electricity.
“We marched to show the Waipā District Council and Waikato Regional Council that we do not want this incinerator in our community,” said Angie Barrowcliffe, a local resident.
“The proposed site is on a floodplain and in the middle of a residential neighbourhood, close to our only high school, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, a new kura and other childcare facilities. It is dangerous, nonsensical and shows blatant disrespect for the health and wellbeing of our community and our future generations.
Protestors march down towards the Te Awamutu Waipā District Council offices. Photo / Julia McCarthy-Fox
“Many people in the community are only just now becoming aware of this proposal, and anger is building that there hasn’t been enough attempt by the company or the Waipā District Council ... to engage the community on the proposal.”
“Submissions on the resource consent application are due on Friday. We want to ensure that our community is able to have our voices heard. We will continue to build opposition in the lead-up to hearings next year. We will stop this proposal.
“Incinerators are outdated technology. Twenty years ago, the community of Meremere stopped an incinerator. Waste minimisation is the solution, not toxic burning.”
Protesters opposed to the proposed incinerator in Te Awamutu. Photo / Julia McCarthy-Fox
The Waipa District Council and the company behind the proposal Global Contracting Solutions were asked if they had any comment on the protest but neither organisation replied to the Waikato Herald.
The majority shareholder of the company behind the proposal, Global Metal Solutions (GMS) managing director Craig Tuhoro, said he wanted to ensure people completely understood the concept and reasoning behind Paewira before making any decisions – whether they’re for or against the proposal.
Global Contracting Solutions decided on the location of Waipā, which generated around 27,000 tonnes of rubbish annually, based on a 2022 Waipā waste assessment.
Paewira was designed to divert 150,000 tonnes of waste away from landfills each year, recover 80 tonnes of recyclable materials each day and generate enough electricity to power 15,000 homes.
A concept drawing of what the planned waste-to-energy plant in Te Awamutu could look like.
The incinerator in Te Awamutu would see approximately 185 vehicle movements to and from the site each day. Paewira would need 460 tonnes of waste material each day to produce the optimal amount of power.
Tuhoro said that with proud whakapapa linked back to the land in Te Awamutu, he saw Paewira not merely as an opportunity, but as an obligation to help clean up the whenua, provide a valuable resource in electricity and support his own people. He said it was a harmonious blend of honouring ancestral ties and forging a sustainable path forward for the community.
It was not just about the power plant, though. “It’s about a commitment to safeguarding our future too, ensuring that future generations inherit a world where sustainability and prosperity coexist harmoniously.”
Craig Tuhoro.
“The project will unlock opportunities to educate future generations about waste minimisation, clean up the nearby Mangapiko Stream, and celebrate the people of Ngāti Apakura and their connection to the land. We also want to teach people about recycling and offer educational tours around the plant,” said Tuhoro.
GMS, and its subsidiary company Global Contracting Solutions, acknowledged the community’s concerns about burning waste.
Global Contracting Solutions project manager Adam Fletcher told Newshub the company was happy to engage with anyone who had questions.
Fletcher said of the 480 tonnes of rubbish a day processed, 80 tonnes would be recycled and the rest sent for combustion to generate steam.
“We recognise people’s concerns, but this is a safe, reliable, efficient method of dealing with waste and recovering material which can’t be recovered otherwise.”
He told Newshub he visited German and Singaporean plants to show it was well-proven technology and would satisfy all requirements under the Resource Management Act.
“Incineration at 1000C will destroy just about anything. We [will] have continuous monitoring, the building is fully enclosed to enclose noise and odours - it is specifically designed to look after the environment and our neighbours,” Fletcher said.
Tuhoro said they were dedicated to transparently providing timely and accurate information, empowering people to make informed decisions that would “positively shape our community, environment, and future.”
“We encourage everyone to voice their opinions on the project, whether in favour or against. Our goal is to ensure that everyone fully understands the science and methodology behind the process first.”
